The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said accepting grains from Ukraine does not make Nigeria a failed country.

Idris stated this at the Leadership Annual Conference and Award 2023 on Tuesday in Abuja.

Last week, Ukraine donated 25,000 tonnes of wheat as emergency food assistance to 1.3 million vulnerable, crisis-affected people in northeast Nigeria amidst rising inflation and food price spikes.

Many including, the Labour Party presidential candidate in the last year’s general elections, Peter Obi, described the gesture from a war-ravaged country as a “national disgrace” for Nigeria.

Reacting, the minister said it was a normal thing for countries to depend on one another for support.

He said, “Egypt gets about 60 per cent of its grains from Ukraine. The fact that Egypt gets about 60 per cent of its grains from Ukraine does not make it a failed state.

“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. It is a normal thing, because countries exist to depend on one another.”

According to the minister, President Bola Tinubu was aware of the challenges bedeviling the country.

He said, “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.

“Some of the decisions he has taken were to ensure that Nigeria finds its place in the comity of nations.

“The decisions include removal of fuel subsidy and addressing the issue of foreign exchange and many others.

“In spite of the current challenges, the economic growth of Nigeria is on track and has continued to improve.”

He explained that fuel subsidy removal was a bold step in the right direction and urged Nigerians to support the president as the country would soon begin to reap the benefits.

Idris also noted that President Tinubu had demonstrated capacity and since his assumption of office, had “attracted more than 30 billion dollars in foreign investments into the country.

“He has not stopped at that. Just last week, President Tinubu went to Qatar to attract more businesses and investments into Nigeria.

“We are optimistic that soon, what we are passing through will be a thing of the past and Nigeria will be better.”