The Federal Government has announced a new initiative requiring citizens to present their National Identification Number (NIN) to purchase subsidized rice.
The program, which was officially launched on September 5, 2024, involves the sale of 30,000 metric tonnes of milled rice at a reduced price of ₦40,000 per 50kg bag.
President Bola Tinubu, represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, emphasized the importance of this initiative during the flag-off ceremony.
"This food intervention can be said to be timely considering the times and challenges we are in as citizens of this great nation," Kyari stated. He further explained that the rice would be sold strictly on a "one person, one bag" basis to ensure fair distribution.
The government has deployed a multi-disciplinary task force to oversee the process, ensuring transparency and preventing fraud. Buyers will be verified through their NIN and phone numbers to prevent individuals from obtaining more than one bag. "It is expected that with the injection of 30,000MT (1000 trucks of 30MT each) of this important staple into Nigeria’s food balance sheet, it will not only crash the price of rice but also other closer food substitutes and alternatives," Kyari added.
Haruna Sule, Director of Strategic Grains Reserve at the Ministry of Agriculture, detailed the purchasing process. Civil servants can access the grains at designated points of sale using their Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) details. "To qualify for the one person one bag, you must have a National Identification Number, of course, you have phone numbers and those in public service are all registered under the Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS) platform," Sule explained. Once a buyer's NIN is logged into the system, a code number and a Treasury receipt will be generated.
This receipt will indicate the time and point of collection to eliminate stampedes. At the collection point, buyers will present their code to officials to receive their bag of rice.
This initiative follows an earlier announcement in July by the Minister of Information, Idris Mohammed, regarding the sale of subsidized rice. Although the plan was temporarily suspended, it has now been reinstated with additional measures to ensure its success.
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