There won’t be food shortage in 2023 – FG

The Federal Government has again debunked claims that the nation would experience food shortage in 2023.

Minister of Agriculture, Mohammad Abubakar, disclosed this on Wednesday after the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the State House.

He stated that the government is working to decrease inflation rate and ensure food security primarily through subsidising fertilizer, improving production and prevent smuggling among other strategies.

In the last two months, houses and farmlands have been submerged in Lagos, Yobe, Borno, Taraba, Adamawa, Edo, Delta, Kogi, Niger, Plateau, Benue, Ebonyi, Anambra, Bauchi, Gombe, Kano, Jigawa, Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto, Imo, Abia States, and the Federal Capital Territory.

According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), over 600 people have died and millions displaced by devastating floods that hit more than 20 states in the last few months, Daily Times gathered.

Meanwhile, the Federal Executive Council has approved a contract for the construction of a new office block and parking lot worth over N14.88 billion for the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

The Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clement Agba, disclosed this on Wednesday after the Council meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the State House.

Ogba told State House Correspondents that the Construction of the 12 storey building would save FIRS N4 billion annual rent and decongest traffic along Awolowo Road.

The Council also approved the creation of a database of the National Capital Projects Information System of Government, to track the growing abandoned and uncompleted projects across the country, particularly in the last five years, which drains national funds.

The National Capital Projects and Information System, which involves key infrastructure ministries, is to be headed by the Finance Minister to prioritize and fund selected projects on a yearly basis and possibly privatize some of the projects, repurposed some for alternative use, and completely abandon others (depending on the outcome of investigations) treating them as a sunk cost.

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Also, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved the sum of N1.6 billion for the procurement of medical equipment and furniture for the aviation medical centre at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja.

The council gave the approval on Wednesday at a meeting presided over by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

Speaking on behalf of the minister of aviation, Lai Mohammed, minister of information, culture and tourism, told state house correspondents after that the federal government is building medical centres in airports across the country.

“The minister of aviation presented a memo for procurement of medical equipment and furniture for the ongoing construction of one of the prototype aviation medical centres at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

“In other words, we are building aviation medical centres in all the airports and this is the first prototype in Abuja.

“The contract was approved for the supply of medical equipment and furniture to the tune of N1.6 billion with a delivery period of six months.

“The contractor is Tasodic Sodica Limited,” Mohammed said.