The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), an umbrella of 57 countries, has chosen Nigeria to serve as a food and grain storage hub for the group’s member states, The Guardian newspaper reported. 

Nigeria’s Director Federal Department of Agriculture, Abdullahi Abubaka said the OIC Secretariat will mobilise resources, food commodities and grains, and store them in the various silos in Nigeria. The stock will then be distributed to countries in need of food. 

“All the member countries of OIC selected Nigeria as the storage hub,” he said.  

“The Secretariat of the OIC will garner the resources, buy the grains and store them in Nigeria so that in the event of any food insecurity, we can distribute them from Nigeria to other places.” 

The country already has over 36 strategic grain reserves, Abubaka disclosed.  

(Editing by Cleofe Maceda; Cleofe.maceda@lseg.com)