President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria has authorized the allocation of N155 billion for the purchase and distribution of foodstuffs across the country.
This decision, announced during the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting on Thursday, aims to alleviate the growing hardship faced by Nigerians.
In a statement released by presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale, it was revealed that President Tinubu has sanctioned the “immediate rollout of the National Construction and Household Support Programme” to ensure equitable distribution of food supplies in all geo-political zones.
“Other items under the National Construction and Household Support Programme include the deployment of N155 billion for the purchase and sale of assorted foodstuffs to be distributed across the nation,” the statement confirmed.
Furthermore, Tinubu approved a N50,000 uplift grant for each of 100,000 families per state, to be disbursed monthly over a three-month period. This initiative is part of the broader effort to mitigate the economic challenges affecting households nationwide.
In addressing the NEC, President Tinubu emphasized the urgency of boosting food production, particularly highlighting the strategic importance of the Sokoto-Badagry Highway. He described it as a critical infrastructure project connecting states within Nigeria’s agricultural belt and facilitating food export through Badagry.
“Our states must work together to deliver on the critical reforms required to meet the needs of our people,” Tinubu urged. “Time is humanity’s most precious asset. It is getting late.”
He outlined his administration’s readiness to support agricultural modernization, including the mechanization of farming processes and the provision of high-quality seedlings and solar-powered irrigation facilities. “We must produce the food our people eat, and it will require coordination and intentionality,” he stated, emphasizing the need for collaboration among NEC members.
“There is nothing we are doing that is more important than producing high-quality food for our people to consume, buy, and sell. We create jobs in the production of it, and that is before we generate wealth by exporting the excess,” the President added.
President Tinubu concluded by soliciting feedback from the governors on the support needed to achieve these goals. “How much support do you need from me and in what form? I am prepared to provide it. But we must achieve the result,” he asserted, urging timely action and coordination.
