The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, addressed concerns raised by Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, regarding Nigeria accepting grains from Ukraine.
Idris emphasized that Nigeria’s decision to receive the grain donation does not imply weakness or indicate a failed state.
Speaking at the Leadership Annual Conference and Award 2023 in Abuja on Tuesday, Minister Idris acknowledged the challenges faced by President Bola Tinubu’s administration but dismissed any suggestion of failure.
“The fact that we are having challenges at the moment does not make Nigeria a failed state. Therefore, accepting grains from Ukraine does not make Nigeria or Egypt failed countries,” Idris stated.
He drew a parallel with Egypt, highlighting that Egypt, a nation not considered a failed state, relies on Ukraine for approximately 60 percent of its grains. Minister Idris underlined that the acceptance of assistance and cooperation among countries is a common practice.
“It is a normal thing because countries exist to depend on one another. It is true that Nigeria is facing some challenges, and President Bola Tinubu is aware of this and he has been making efforts to address the situation,” Idris added.
Assuring the public of President Tinubu’s commitment to addressing challenges and steering the nation towards improvement, Minister Idris emphasized that Nigerians voted for Tinubu with the belief in his capacity to bring positive change.
“Nigerians voted for Tinubu with the deeper understanding and conviction that he has the capacity to turn things around for the better, and that is what he is doing,” Minister Idris concluded.
