By Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
GOVERNOR Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State has flagged off the distribution of food items to 300,000 vulnerable households as part of the 2026 Ramadan palliative programme.
Speaking at the launch held on Tuesday at Ramat Square in Maiduguri, Zulum said the beneficiaries were drawn from across the 27 local government areas of the state. The first phase covers 15 wards in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, six wards in Jere Local Government Area, and one ward each in Konduga and Mafa.
The governor noted that this marks the seventh consecutive year since he assumed office that his administration has provided Ramadan palliatives to cushion hardship during the holy month, particularly for the less privileged.
He disclosed that, in addition to the 300,000 households, 35 trucks of rice and 35 trucks of sugar would be allocated to political stakeholders and community elders across the 27 local government areas to ensure broader reach without disrupting the main distribution to residents.
Zulum charged the distribution committee to uphold transparency and fairness. “These items are not for sale. They are not for your friends or family members who do not need them,” he warned. “They are for the widow, the orphan, the internally displaced, the farmer whose fields have yet to recover fully, and the daily wage earner struggling to make ends meet. Any officer found diverting these items will face the full weight of the law.”
He added that Christian residents observing Lent, which coincides with Ramadan this year, would also benefit from the gesture.
According to the governor, each beneficiary in the designated wards will receive a 25kg bag of rice, a 25kg bag of millet and a 10kg bag of sugar. He revealed that 1,600 tricycle operators, popularly known as Keke Napep, have been engaged to convey both the items and beneficiaries to their homes.
Zulum also expressed appreciation to former Abdulaziz Yari, ex-governor of Zamfara State, for donating 12,000 bags of 25kg rice to support the initiative.
Earlier, the Chairman of the High-Powered Committee on Distribution of Palliatives, Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan, commended the governor for the timely intervention, assuring that the process would be transparent and orderly. He urged beneficiaries to use the items to support their families during Ramadan and refrain from reselling them.
In his welcome address, the Director of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency, Alhaji Ali Mohammed, thanked the governor for his continued support, noting that it had strengthened the agency’s capacity to deliver relief effectively.
Several beneficiaries expressed gratitude to the governor for sustaining the annual Ramadan assistance and pledged their continued support for his administration.
The ceremony was attended by members of the House of Representatives, Bukar Talba and Abdulkadir Rahis; the Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdkarim Lawan, alongside principal officers of the Assembly; the Acting Chief of Staff, Dr Babagana Mustapha Mallumbe; and other senior government officials.
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