The Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) has released new whistle-blowingnumbers to enable Nigerians and stakeholders register their complaints and feedback in the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (PFI) programme.

Mr Titi Olubiyi, Head of Communications at NSIA, released the new numbers to a team of Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN) on a facility tour of fertiliser plants in the country.

Olubiyi, who gave the numbers as 08175777724 and 08175077775, said the old number (09098067946) would be reactivated to ensure the programme has three effective whistle-blowinglines.

“These numbers can be reached from Monday to Friday; it’s a 24-hour-desk established for enquiries, complaints and feedback from the public on issues concerning fertiliser manufacturing and distribution.

“This became necessary following variation in the price of fertiliser sold above the government approved rate of N5,500 for 50 kilogramme bag to the public,” Olubiyi said.

He urged members of the public to regularly call the numbers to report any irregularity noticed in the programme to enable the PFI whistle-blowingpolicy under President Muhammadu Buhari succeed.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that plans were on for the establishment of a task forceto be supervised by the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) to combat hoarding, racketeering and adulteration of the product.

The task force,which would comprise of the Army, the Department of State Security, the Police and other security agencies in the country, would be different from the security team monitoring the distribution and use of fertiliser material like urea by the various blending plants, Olubiyi said.

NAN reports that the NSIA, also known as the Sovereign Wealth Fund, is an arm of government managing and investing funds on behalf of government in the PFI.

Eleven blending plants have been revived under the PFI with Indorama Fertiliser and Chemicals producing about 50 per cent of the materials locally.