The National Economic Council (NEC) announced on Thursday that the Federal Government has sanctioned a grant of N5 billion for each of the 36 states in the country. This financial allocation aims to assist in procuring grains and provide five truckloads of rice to every state. These measures have been devised as palliative efforts to mitigate the impact of the removal of fuel subsidies
Additionally, during the NEC meeting chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, several resolutions were reached. The council authorized the allocation of 40,000 bags of maize to be distributed among the states.
Furthermore, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) was tasked with the responsibility of distributing food supplies to states that share borders with Niger Republic. This directive was issued in light of recent political instability in the neighboring country.
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Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, who addressed State House correspondents following the meeting’s conclusion, explained that the N5 billion grant and provision of rice and grains were temporary measures to alleviate the cost of living challenges stemming from the subsidy removal. He emphasized that the government remained committed to implementing sustainable solutions alongside these immediate actions. The states were directed to acquire 100,000 bags of rice and beans, among other essentials.
Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State highlighted that ongoing work was being done to revise the social register. He mentioned that Nigeria was already hosting refugees from Niger Republic, which was impacting the equitable distribution of the palliatives.
However, Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State pointed out that, contrary to the approved N5 billion, only N2 billion had been disbursed to the states thus far.