Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum has flagged off the distribution of food items to over 100,000 households in the state capital Maiduguri, and Jere local government area.
The distribution was aimed at mitigating the hardship triggered by the rising costs of food items and other essential commodities, according to a statement on Wednesday, February 28.
Zulum performed the symbolic presentation of the palliative at the Maiduguri Sports Centre, where the distribution exercise took place.
Each household received one bag of 25kg rice and another bag of 25kg maize.
Speaking to journalists after flagging off the distribution, Zulum emphasised the need for continued support to the people to tackle the hardship in the country.
The governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to prioritising the welfare of the people, especially those facing extreme hardship as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency.
He said: Everyone in Nigeria is aware of the hardship people face regarding food shortages.
“All the preceding food distribution exercises we had conducted were carried out in other local government areas. Today, because of the hardship faced by our people, we decided to come and flag off the exercise here for the people of Metropolitan and its environs. These communities have not benefited immensely compared to other places.”
The governor urged the people to engage in agriculture, assuring them of all the needed support, including free buses, agricultural inputs and cash support.
He said: “The FG has also rolled out an agricultural scheme under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and in Borno State; we have programmes to boost irrigation and commercial farming.
“We have started distributing food palliative care since 2011 and are doing our best. I call on our people to be patient because the government handles the crisis. What we are doing is enormous, but as a responsive and responsible government, we shall continue to do our best to cushion the effects of the hardship.”
However, the governor warned that his administration would not condone anyone sabotaging its efforts in peacebuilding.
Meanwhile, the World Bank has said seven states across the North-west and North-east regions of the country may suffer food crises due to high levels of insecurity and armed conflicts that have reduced the standards of living across the region.
In its latest Food Security report, the bank listed Borno, Adamawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Yobe, Sokoto, and Zamfara as the states at risk of food crisis.
