The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has met the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu to address the security situation in the country as well as the rising cost of food items.

During the meeting that had a representative of the Department of State Services (DSS), the governors agreed to support the NSA office in the states to enhance the nature and quality of intelligence.

They also called for the reduction of Foreign Exchange demand by use of moral suasion to reduce dependence on foreign exchange, imported goods and services as a way of nipping in the bud, the current security situation and food stability in the country.

This was disclosed in a statement by the NGF Chairman and Governor of Kwara State, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, at the end of the first emergency virtual meeting in 2024.

According to the statement, the governors reiterated their commitment to deploying emergency food interventions, including incentivizing food production, release of food items from strategic food reserves and collaboration with food millers and commodity traders in their various states to boost food availability as an immediate short-term action.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, today held a world press conference on some pressing national issues, at the National Assembly.

It would be recalled that in his welcome address when the House resumed plenary after the Christmas and New Year break, Speaker Abbas lamented the worsening insecurity as well as the hunger in the land.

At the press conference, the Speaker spoke on a range of topical national issues covering areas such as security, economy, food shortage, among others.

He equally promised that the House would soon convene a legislative security summit to find a solution to the security challenges facing the nation.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have issued a 14-day nationwide strike notice to the Federal Government from tomorrow, February 9, over the non-implementation of the agreements reached on October 2, 2023, following the removal of the subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as Petrol.

In a statement today, the Unions said the October 2 agreement was focused on addressing the massive suffering and the general harsh socioeconomic consequences of the hike in the price of PMS and the devaluation of the naira.

They stressed that these dual policies have had, as they predicted, dire economic consequences for the masses and workers of Nigeria.

Speaking further, the Unions lamented that “it is regrettable that they are compelled to resort to such measures, but the persistent neglect of the welfare of citizens and Nigerian workers and the massive hardship leave them with no choice.

The Federal Government had among other things promised the implementation of a 35,000 naira wage award for civil servants which has not been paid up to date.

The Federal Government has ordered the release of 102,000 metric tonnes of rice and maize to Nigerians amid the food crisis in the country, coupled with the inflationary trend.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated this while fielding questions from State House reporters shortly after the meeting of the Presidential Committee on Food Emergency, which was held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said the President has directed that “food will be made available, whatever it takes.”

The decision came after a series of deliberations by the Committee, in reaction to the protests by Nigerians over the high cost of food and other economic challenges.