The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) has dismissed media reports suggesting that a staff prayer session was being used as a policy response to Nigeria’s food security crisis, clarifying that the event was purely a welfare initiative.
In a statement signed by Ezeaja Ikemefuna on behalf of the Director of Information, the Ministry explained that the prayer session, themed “Divine Intervention for Protection and National Development,” was organized in response to a troubling pattern of untimely deaths among senior management staff.
“The prayer was to address the apprehensiveness of staff over the recent untimely and successive deaths of management staff of the Ministry,” the statement read.
“It must be emphasised that this is NOT an official policy by the Ministry to address agriculture and food security issues in the country.”
The Ministry added that the prayer session was part of its ongoing internal welfare programmes, which also include monthly aerobic exercises, access to a staff gymnasium, and regular medical check-ups.
FMAFS Reaffirms Strategic Focus on Food Security
While addressing the public backlash and media misinterpretation, FMAFS reassured Nigerians that its commitment to food security remains grounded in concrete, data-driven policy initiatives aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Key interventions by the Ministry include:
- Distribution of Essential Grains: 42,000 metric tonnes of grains and 58,200 metric tonnes of milled rice under its Price Stabilisation Programme.
- Farmer Support Schemes: Procurement of over 1,000 tractors and free distribution of critical inputs such as fertilisers and agrochemicals.
- Access to Finance: ₦1.5 trillion recapitalisation of the Bank of Agriculture to support farmers.
- Digital Transformation: Launch of the National Electronic Extension Platform (NEEP) to enhance farmer advisory services.
- Rural Infrastructure: $600 million secured through the World Bank-backed RAAMP project to rehabilitate rural roads.
- Fertiliser Support: Donation of 2,150,000 bags of fertilisers by the Central Bank of Nigeria to curb food inflation.
- Farmer Cooperatives and Training: Strengthening of cooperatives through the Federal Cooperative Colleges.
- Subsidy Programme: Implementation of the National Agricultural Growth Scheme Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP) to provide subsidised inputs to registered farmers.
Disregard the Misinformation, Ministry Urges Public
The Ministry advised the public to disregard the “prayer as policy” narrative, emphasizing that its focus remains firmly on delivering impactful agricultural reforms that will sustainably address food production, inflation, and rural development.
“Our efforts are squarely aimed at implementing tested, measurable interventions that align with global best practices and national priorities,” the statement concluded.