Abuja — President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the release of 15,000 tonnes of assorted grains to Niger and Chad to mitigate the effect of the reported food crisis in the two countries.

A source at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture said yesterday in Abuja that the Federal Government was concerned about the situation in the two countries.

Media reports say many citizens are fleeing their homes due to food shortages.

The government had approved the release of 50,000 tonnes of assorted grains for distribution across the states to cushion the effect of high prices of foodstuffs in the country.

According to the source, the ministry has started the process of gathering the grains from the various strategic grains reserve in preparation for dispatch to the two countries.

Minister of State, Agriculture, Alhaji Nojeem Awodele, confirmed the approval but declined to confirm the figures.

"The President has approved some thousands of tonnes of assorted grains to be sent immediately to the people of Niger and Chad.

"As we are giving them, we are not leaving our own people hungry, so we are distributing to states at the same time," he added.

He said Nigeria was just being "our brothers' keepers" and to ensure that the hardship being faced by the citizens of those countries was ameliorated.

The minister said the gesture was also intended to prevent insecurity in the country.

"This is a two-in-one programme because as we are doing this, we are serving as a big brother in Africa and at the same time, guarding against the unnecessary relapse to crime.

"The people who are hungry, immediately they get to Sokoto or any part of our border, they could heighten the insecurity problem that we are trying to reduce," he said. NAN