The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has clarified reports surrounding a recently leaked internal memo regarding a special prayer session by ministry staff, stating that the event is not part of the government’s official strategy for addressing food security challenges.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Ministry emphasized that the prayer session was a voluntary wellness initiative organized by the Human Resources Department, similar to other internal health and fitness programs such as monthly aerobic exercises, gym use, and medical check-ups routinely conducted for staff welfare.
“The prayer session was never intended as a policy measure for solving Nigeria’s food and agricultural issues,” the statement read. “It is a faith-based initiative to foster emotional and mental well-being among staff.”
The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, assuring Nigerians that concrete efforts are underway to ensure access to affordable and nutritious food.
These efforts include:
The distribution of over two million bags of fertilizers to farmers nationwide to reduce production costs,
The deployment of more than 1,000 tractors to boost mechanized farming, and
The signing of the commercialization phase of agricultural reforms, supervised by President Tinubu himself.
The Ministry also highlighted its continued work to strengthen agricultural cooperative societies and enhance their role in national economic development.
In conclusion, the Ministry reiterated that it remains focused on delivering tangible solutions to Nigeria’s food challenges and encouraged the public to disregard any misinterpretation of internal welfare activities as government policy.
