3-day prayer is meant to wade off death among staff and not for food security- Ministry of Agriculture clarifies

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has clarified that the scheduled prayer sessions announced to hold within the ministry were purely internal initiatives to address apprehension over incessant death of workers, and not to offer prayers against food insecurity in Nigeria.

In a statement released, the Ministry’s Assistant Information Officer, Ezeaja Ikemefuna, said the ministry responded to public outrage following the online circulation of a viral internal circular from its Human Resource Management Department.

The internal circular dated June 11, 2025, and signed by Mrs. Adedayo Modupe O., Director of Human Resource Management, directed all directors, deputy directors, assistant directors, value chain desk officers and staff of the ministry to attend the prayer sessions scheduled to hold at the ministry headquarters in Abuja on June 16t 23 and 30, 2025, respectively, for assist government’s drive to achieve food security.

However, in the latest statement, the ministry emphasised that the prayer sessions were organised in response to staff concerns over the recent untimely and successive deaths of several management personnel.

“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 deemed it not out of place to pray for the country, hence the theme of the prayer sessions: ‘Divine Intervention for Protection and National Development’,” the statement noted.

The ministry also clarified that the prayer initiative, like its ongoing monthly aerobic exercise programme and gymnasium services, was part of internal wellness plan and does not reflect any shift in government policy or agricultural mandate.

“This is not an official policy by the ministry to address agriculture and food security issues in the country. Rather, it is in response to the yearnings of staff who are apprehensive following the death of some of their colleagues in recent times,” the statement added