Victoria Mbangwa
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has clarified the rationale behind a recent internal prayer session, following public discourse sparked by the circulation of an internal memo on social media platforms.
The Ministry stated on Friday that the prayer session was initiated by its Human Resource Management Department as a voluntary welfare response to rising anxiety among staff, particularly after the sudden and successive deaths of some senior management members.
According to the Ministry, the session was organized as a platform for staff to seek emotional and spiritual support in a period marked by loss, with the theme: “Divine Intervention for Protection and National Development.”
Officials noted that the initiative aligns with existing wellbeing measures such as monthly aerobic exercises, the establishment of a gymnasium within the Ministry, and routine medical check-ups all designed to promote staff health and productivity.
While addressing the issue, the Ministry reiterated its continued commitment to national food security and listed a number of interventions being executed under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Key achievements highlighted include: The delivery of over 1,000 tractors to support farm mechanization, now in the commercialization phase; The release of 42,000 metric tonnes of grains and 58,200 metric tonnes of milled rice under the Strategic Grain Reserve and Market Stabilization programme; The distribution of 2.15 million bags of fertilizer, donated by the Central Bank of Nigeria, to reduce food inflation.
The approval of N1.5 trillion by the Federal Government for the recapitalization of the Bank of Agriculture to improve access to affordable financing for farmers; The launch of the National Electronic Extension Platform (NEEP) to improve delivery of agricultural extension services; Ongoing rehabilitation of 200,000 kilometres of rural roads through a $600 million partnership with the World Bank under the RAAMP project; Distribution of free farm inputs including seeds, agrochemicals, and fertilizers to support farmers during the planting season.
Continued implementation of the National Agricultural Growth Scheme Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP), which has registered farmers nationwide for subsidized inputs; A data partnership with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to improve transparency and identity verification for farmers.
The Ministry reaffirmed that the internal prayer initiative should not be misconstrued as a replacement for agricultural policy or national intervention strategies.
Staff welfare and morale remain important, but so does the unwavering focus on ensuring food and nutrition security for Nigeria
