Sokoto Begins Subsidised Sale of 550 Truckloads of Food Items

By Nafiu Muhammad Lema

The Sokoto State Government has commenced the subsidised sale of 550 truckloads of rice, millet and maize procured at a total cost of ₦9.078 billion, including logistics, to cushion the impact of economic hardship on residents.

The programme was officially flagged off in Bodinga Local Government Area by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, as the state government begins distribution of the commodities across the 23 local government areas.

Governor Ahmed Aliyu said the initiative was designed to reduce the burden of rising food prices and ensure that essential commodities are accessible to low-income and vulnerable households.

Under the scheme, a bag of rice purchased by the state government at ₦53,375 will be sold to residents for ₦30,000, representing a subsidy of ₦23,375 per bag.

Similarly, millet and maize purchased at ₦43,625 per bag will be sold for ₦25,000, giving beneficiaries a subsidy of ₦18,625 on each bag.

The governor explained that the state expects to recover about ₦4.539 billion from the sales, representing 50 per cent of the procurement cost, while the remaining ₦4.539 billion will be borne by the government as subsidy.

He said each local government area would receive between 12 and 16 trucks based on population and size to promote equitable distribution of the commodities.

Aliyu stressed that the intervention was not intended to undermine traders but to complement their efforts by making food items available to consumers at affordable prices.

He also directed officials and local government coordinators involved in the exercise to ensure transparency and accountability, warning against diversion, manipulation or abuse of the programme.

Flagging off the initiative, Bagudu commended the governor for introducing what he described as a timely and people-oriented intervention.

The minister said food security involved not only production but also distribution, marketing and affordability, adding that all three tiers of government had important roles to play in ensuring that citizens had access to food.

Bagudu noted that global conflicts, fluctuations in energy and fertiliser prices, trade tensions and domestic economic reforms had continued to exert pressure on food production and prices.

He commended the Sokoto government for supporting producers and traders while simultaneously protecting consumers from the effects of rising food prices.

The minister also praised Governor Aliyu and Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko for their contributions to national development and their support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Sales of Food Items and Other Essential Commodities Committee, Alhaji Chiso Abdullahi Dattijo, said monitoring mechanisms had been established to ensure that the commodities reached the intended beneficiaries.

Dattijo urged local government coordinators to prioritise vulnerable and less-privileged residents in the distribution process.

The state Commissioner for Agriculture, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mustapha Alkali, said the initiative would help reduce hunger and ease the pressure of rising food prices on households.

Also speaking, the District Head of Kilgori, Dr Muhammad Jabbi Kilgori, who represented the Sultan of Sokoto, conveyed the Sultan’s goodwill to the governor and urged officials handling the commodities to discharge their responsibilities with integrity and ensure that the items reached the intended beneficiaries.

The subsidised food programme is expected to provide relief to residents across Sokoto State by making rice, millet and maize available at significantly reduced prices, particularly for vulnerable and low-income households.