Federal Government Allocates N155 Billion for Food Provision, Launches National Support Programmes

In a recent X post from the official handle of the Nigerian President (@NGRPresident), President Bola Tinubu announced a series of significant national support initiatives aimed at bolstering food security and infrastructure across the country.

The government has approved the immediate rollout of national construction and household support programmes, including a substantial allocation of N155 billion for the provision of assorted foodstuffs to be distributed nationwide. This intervention is part of a broader effort to address food insecurity and support vulnerable populations.

Among the measures introduced, a N10 billion one-off support has been allocated to states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, for the procurement of buses and the implementation of a CNG uplift programme. Additionally, N50,000 uplift grants will be provided to 100,000 families in each state for three months, aiming to alleviate financial pressures on households.

The President emphasized the importance of collaboration among state governors to achieve these objectives. “Our states must work together to deliver critical reforms required to meet our needs as a people. Time is humanity’s best treasure; you can never have enough of it. It’s getting late,” President Tinubu remarked.

Further support has been extended to labour unions and civil society organisations as part of this comprehensive intervention. The President also assured state governors of federal support for agricultural processes, including the provision of solar-powered irrigation systems.

Infrastructure development was another key focus, with the prioritisation of the Sokoto-Badagry highway, which will pass through Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos.

Additionally, funding has been approved for the Port-Harcourt-Maiduguri railway, traversing Rivers, Abia, Enugu, Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe, and Borno.

The Ibadan-Abuja segment of the Lagos-Kano standard gauge railway, covering Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Kwara, Niger, Abuja, Kaduna, and Kano, also received funding.