"Each of the trucks of course is carrying about 1,200 25kg bags of rice," the minister said.

The federal government has announced that it has donated about 20 trucks of rice to each of Nigeria's 36 states and Abuja as part of measures to cushion the country's food crisis.

Information Minister Mohammed Idris disclosed this in Abuja on Monday while briefing State House reporters at the end of the Federal Executive Council meeting.

"Each of the trucks of course is carrying about 1,200 25kg bags of rice," Mr Idris said. "This is part of the measures that government is taking in addition to so many others to ensure that the hardship being experienced by Nigerians is drastically ameliorated."

The minister said the bags of rice are expected to be distributed to vulnerable Nigerians by the state governments.

"...each of the state governments has received 20 trucks of rice for onward distribution to the most vulnerable. This is a first step and the federal government will continue to support all the state governors and local governments, all the subnationals, so that the hardship being experienced by most Nigerians in terms of shortage of food supply is breached," he said.

Nigerians have been grappling with a cost of living crisis since President Bola Tinubu announced the removal of subsidies on petrol last year.

The price of basic foods has tripled in some cases, with a 50-kg bag of rice rising from about N20,000 to over N60,000.

Rice is one of the most common foods in Nigerian homes, but due to its high prices, it has become out of reach for millions.

Monday's announcement comes a few days after the government approved the duty-free importation of major food items like rice, beans, and wheat.

However, some Nigerians, including Akinwunmi Adesina of the African Development Bank, have criticised the food importation policy.

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