3-Day Fasting Was To Curb Untimely Deaths, Not Address Food Security—Agric Ministry

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has clarified that a 3-day fasting declared at the ministry was not intended as a policy response to Nigeria’s food crisis.

Instead, the internal circular was a staff-led spiritual intervention to seek divine protection following a string of untimely deaths among senior personnel at the ministry.

This was according to the ministry’s Acting Director of Information, Ikemefuna Ezeaja.

The clarification followed the circulation of an internal memo which directed ministry staff to fast and pray on June 16, 23, and 30, 2025 “for God’s guidance and success in supporting the Government’s efforts to achieve food security” in the country.

However, the planned exercise was greeted by public backlash.

This prompted an explanation by Ezeaja, who stressed that the initiative was not a policy directive from the ministry but rather a voluntary exercise initiated by the Human Resource Management Department.

“The Ministry’s attention is drawn to the internal circular of the Human Resource Management Department being circulated by online media, in this regard the ministry wishes to inform that the prayer session is an initiative of the Human Resource Department to address the well-being of the staff just as the already existing monthly aerobic exercise and establishment of the gymnasium in the ministry are for physical fitness as the regular medical check-up of staff are for their health.

“The prayer was to address the apprehensiveness of staff over the recent untimely and successive death of management staff of the Ministry.

“The staff also deem it not out of place to pray for the country, hence The Theme of the Prayer Sessions ‘Divine Intervention for Protection and National Development’.

“It must be emphasized that this is NOT an official policy by the Ministry to address agriculture and food security issues in the country.

“But in response to the yearnings of staff who are apprehensive following the death of some of their colleagues in recent times,” said Ezeaja.

He added, “The Ministry wishes to emphasize that the prayer session is an internal initiative of staff to address the concern over sudden deaths in the Ministry and not intended to replace or downplay the remarkable effort and achievement of the Ministry and other stakeholders in achieving food security in the Nation.”

3-Day Fasting Was To Curb Untimely Deaths, Not Address Food Security—Agric Ministry is first published on The Whistler Newspaper