The Nigerian government has given the go-ahead for the distribution of 5 billion naira ($6.5 million; £5.1 million) to each of the nation’s 36 states and the federal capital for the purchase of food goods for the underprivileged.
In addition, bags of rice, corn, and fertiliser will be distributed, the governor of Nigeria’s northwestern Borno state, Babagana Zulum, told the media after a meeting of the National Economic Council at the presidential residence in the nation’s capital, Abuja.
The action is a part of efforts to reduce the rising cost of living, which is a result of President Bola Tinubu’s decision to end gasoline subsidies shortly after we came to power in May.
Since then, food costs have more than doubled and fuel prices have increased by 200%. As a result, the president last month declared a state of emergency due to food insecurity and announced measures to improve small enterprises, manufacturing, and accessible transportation.
President Tinubu said that by eliminating subsidies, the government was able to save more than 1 trillion naira ($1.2 billion).