FG introduces NIN requirement for purchasing 50kg bag of rice at N40,000

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The Federal Government has announced that civil servants seeking to purchase a 50kg bag of rice at the subsidized price of N40,000 will be required to provide their National Identification Number (NIN).

This move is aimed at curbing fraudulent activities and ensuring that the subsidized rice reaches the intended beneficiaries.

President Bola Tinubu, represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, announced during the flag-off ceremony on Thursday that the rice intervention program will operate on a strict “one person, one bag” basis.

Minister Kyari explained that the initiative aims to provide subsidized milled rice to mitigate the current food crisis in Nigeria. He stated that the 50kg bags of rice will be sold at a uniform price of ₦40,000, emphasizing that this effort is part of the Federal Government’s commitment to supporting Nigerians during this challenging time.

“As one of the numerous efforts of the present administration to cushion the effect of high cost of food commodities, kindly join me in applauding the immense efforts of the present administration such as the release of 42,000MT of Assorted Food Commodities (AFC) to vulnerable and the 30,000MT of milled rice which is being flagged-off for sales to Nigerians today September 5, 2024,” he stated.

According to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq, the NIN requirement will help track and monitor the distribution of subsidized rice, preventing unscrupulous individuals from exploiting the system.

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On buyer verification, Kyari explained that a multi-disciplinary government task force has been deployed to ensure transparency, broad distribution and the overall success of the initiative.

He emphasized that the process was designed to prevent individuals from obtaining more than one 50kg bag of rice, noting that beneficiaries will be verified through identification methods such as the NIN and phone numbers to prevent fraudulent individuals from accessing multiple bags at the expense of other citizens.

“In view of the above, I urge our dear citizens to cooperate with the relevant agencies of government who will try to serve you to achieve this great initiative of government.

“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,” he added.