TheCable

The federal government has presented 1,437 metric tonnes of food items to the Niger state government.

Zubaida Umar, director-general of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), disclosed this on Wednesday while presenting the foodstuffs to Umar Bago, governor of Niger, in Minna. 

Umar said the gesture is part of the federal government’s drive to cushion the impact of the economic hardship on citizens. 

“In fulfilment of his promise to reduce the impact of the current economic downturn being experienced in the country in line with the renewed hope agenda, Mr President approved the release of 42,000 metric tonnes of assorted food commodities from the national strategic reserve,” Umar said.

“The assorted food commodities include maize, millet, sorghum and garri.

“After sharing the commodities and successfully transporting the quantity allocated to Niger state, today we are here to hand over the food items to the state government for distribution to the identified deserving beneficiaries in the communities, through the constituted committees in each local government area.

“It is worthy of note that based on the allocation table, Niger state has been allocated 550 metric tonnes of maize (11,000 bags of 50kg), 650 metric tonnes of sorghum (13,000 bags of 50 kg) and 237 metric tonnes of millet (4,750 bags of 50kg).”

The NEMA boss said 20 percent of the food items due for each LGA will be given to religious organisations, while three percent will be given to boarding schools.

Bago directed the committee in charge of the distribution, and security agencies, to ensure that the grains reach vulnerable persons. 

The governor said the state will ensure that no beneficiary pays for the food items.

On February 8, President Bola Tinubu directed the immediate release of 42,000 metric tonnes of assorted food items from the strategic reserve and the Rice Millers Association of Nigeria, as a short-term response to the rising food shortage in the country.