Niger State Governor Mohammed Bago has declared next Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday as public holidays to facilitate the efficient distribution of palliatives across the state’s 25 Local Government Areas.
During a press conference at the Government House in Minna, Governor Bago announced that the state government has supplemented the N5 billion palliative fund received from the federal government with an additional N250 million.
These funds will be distributed to wards, traditional institutions, and internally displaced persons, with specific allocations for each group.
The governor also revealed that five trucks of rice will be distributed to each ward across the state, and 50,000 bags of maize are expected for distribution in all polling units.
However, the palliatives are not free; the state and local governments are required to repay 58% of the N5 billion over 20 months, while the federal government will cover the remaining 42%.
Local committees, which include former and current public office holders, have been tasked with overseeing the distribution process.
These committees will decide which food items to purchase based on the needs of their communities.
To alleviate the impact of the fuel subsidy removal, Governor Bago announced that the state government will introduce 200 CNG luxurious buses for public transportation.
These buses will provide free rides for students and discounted fares for civil servants, serving various routes within the state.
In the area of agriculture, the governor directed the Ministries of Lands and Agriculture to prepare 10,000 hectares of arable land in every Local Government by December 2023 to support the national food security policy.
This initiative aims to create employment for 500,000 youths and 400,000 women.
Governor Bago also highlighted plans to revive the payment of bursaries to students and warned that any individual found mismanaging the palliative distribution process will face imprisonment.
