Both Lagos and Borno State governments have reported that they have not yet received the 20 truckloads of rice promised by the federal government.
Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Bisola Olusayan, and Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) Director-General, Muhammad Saidu, voiced their concerns in a recent appearance on the NTA Good Morning programme. The federal government had earlier announced the distribution of 20 truckloads of rice to each of Nigeria’s 36 states to aid vulnerable citizens.
According to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, each truckload is said to contain 1,200 bags of 25kg rice. This initiative was intended as a relief measure to help mitigate the current economic hardships faced by many Nigerians.
However, Olusayan indicated that Lagos State’s last federal government palliative delivery was received in April/May. “We are still waiting for the expected consignment of 20 truckloads of rice. Despite the announcements, we have not received these supplies yet,” Olusayan stated.
In Borno State, Saidu confirmed that while the state has not yet received the rice, they have been informed that it is en route. “We are preparing for its arrival and have started arranging logistics for immediate distribution,” Saidu said.
For the distribution of the rice, Lagos State plans to utilize its social register, which includes around 2.8 million residents. Community leaders will be involved in ensuring the rice reaches the intended recipients. The state also plans to repackage the rice into 10kg bags to serve a larger number of vulnerable individuals.
Borno State will follow a distribution approach similar to the one used for palliatives for internally displaced persons (IDPs). Although many IDPs have left the camps, the state government maintains updated data to facilitate effective distribution to those in need.
Discussion about this post