• 14 Jun, 2025
• Faith Kegh
• No comment

Agriculture Ministry Clarifies Prayer Sessions, Cites Staff Deaths.

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has cl

arified that recent prayer and fasting sessions were organized in response to the sudden deaths of several staff members, not as part of any official strategy to address food security.

In a statement issued by Ezeaja Ikemefuna, Assistant Information Officer for the Director of Information, the ministry explained that the initiative came from the Human Resource Department to support staff well-being. It was compared to existing wellness programs such as monthly aerobic exercises and access to a gym within the ministry.

The prayer sessions were introduced after a series of unexpected deaths among management staff caused concern within the ministry. The theme of the sessions, “Divine Intervention for Protection and National Development,” reflects both staff grief and a desire to pray for the nation.

The ministry stressed that the sessions are not an official policy measure for addressing food insecurity and should not be misinterpreted as such.

The statement also detailed the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to ensure food and nutrition security, including:

  The acquisition of over 1,000 tractors to assist farmers;
  Implementation of the commercialisation phase of mechanized farming;
  Strategic Grain Reserve and price stabilization programs, involving the release of 42,000 metric tonnes of grains and 58,200 metric tonnes of milled rice;
  Donation of 2.15 million bags of fertilizer by the Central Bank of Nigeria;
  Approval of N1.5 trillion recapitalization for the Bank of Agriculture;
  Launch of the National Electronic Extension Platform;
  Reforms in the cooperative sector through capacity building;
  Collaboration with the World Bank on a \$600 million rural access and marketing project, including the rehabilitation of 200,000 km of rural roads;
  Nationwide distribution of free farming inputs through the National Agricultural Growth Scheme Agro-Pocket;
  Partnership with the National Identity Management Commission to enhance data accuracy in farmer identification.

The ministry concluded by reaffirming its commitment to national food security and clarified that the prayer sessions were solely an internal measure aimed at addressing staff concerns, not a substitute for policy action.

An earlier circular dated June 11 had directed ministry staff to observe prayer and fasting on June 16, 23, and 30, under the same spiritual theme.

Faith Kegh

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