Palliative: Jigawa to Distribute N3.8bn Food items

Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano.

The Jigawa State Government has set aside N3.8 billion for the purchase of essential food items for distribution across all 27 local government councils, as part of the measures to alleviate suffering caused by the fuel subsidy removal.

The Commissioner of Information, Youth, Sports, and Culture, Sagir Musa Ahmad, who briefed the press after a meeting said, the meeting resulted in key resolutions aimed at alleviating challenges posed by recent policy changes and boosting the agricultural sector.

He said in response to the challenges arising from the removal of fuel subsidies and recognising the need to ease the burden on its citizens, the State Executive Council decided to take proactive steps to distribute food items to the needy.

“The approved procurement includes: 70 Trucks of Rice (600 bags per truck) 54 Trucks of Millet & Maize (600 bags per truck)1,000 Cartons of Spaghetti.

“These food items, valued at N3,848,000 only, will be distributed through the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).”

He said, “The joint financial contribution of the Federal, State, and Local Governments (LGAs) underscores the commitment to ameliorate the challenges posed by the fuel subsidy removal and its impact on the populace.”

In the area of educational support to ease the financial burden on parents, the Council approved the payment of registration fees for Jigawa State undergraduate students pursuing various courses at prominent institutions.

The Commissioner explained that some of the institutions covered under the decision were: Federal University, Dutse (FUD), Bayero University, Kano (BUK), Kano State University of Technology (KUST) and the University of Maiduguri.

“The sum of N167,024,950 has been allocated to facilitate this initiative. This effort underscores the administration’s commitment to ensuring that education remains accessible to all segments of society.”

In agricultural transformation, the Executive Council approved a loan of N1 billion to the Jigawa Agricultural Supply Company (JASCO) designated for the procurement of 54 units of tractors.

Ahmad maintained that the loan’s objective was to facilitate the reintroduction of tractor-hiring services (THS) through the Local Government Areas (LGAs), thereby promoting mechanised farming practices across the state.