Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda has launched the distribution of 90,000 bags of assorted grains to vulnerable households across the state’s 34 local government areas as part of efforts to ease economic hardship and improve food security.
The distribution was flagged off on Wednesday in Kaita Local Government Area, where the governor directed officials and stakeholders overseeing the exercise to ensure the grains reach intended beneficiaries without discrimination or diversion.
Radda said the intervention is aimed at providing immediate relief to vulnerable families while complementing the state’s long-term investments in agriculture and food production.
“Our philosophy has remained clear: development must reach the grassroots, and the people must feel the presence and impact of government in their communities and daily lives,” the governor said.
He noted that the grain distribution builds on previous social intervention programmes, including support for women entrepreneurs during Ramadan and assistance to 7,220 widows across the state’s 361 wards. He also acknowledged the Aliko Dangote Foundation for supporting food security efforts through rice distribution to vulnerable residents.
Radda said lessons from previous distribution exercises had helped the government strengthen its grassroots delivery system through Community Level Committees to improve transparency, accountability and beneficiary targeting.
The governor, however, stressed that palliative measures alone cannot solve food insecurity, saying his administration is combining emergency relief with investments in sustainable agricultural development.
According to him, the state has supported farmers with subsidised fertiliser, irrigation pumps, tube wells and other agricultural inputs to boost food production, reduce production costs, create rural jobs and improve household incomes.
Radda urged local government officials, traditional rulers, religious leaders and community committees to conduct the exercise fairly and ensure that widows, elderly people, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups receive the support.
Community Development Programme Coordinator Kamaladden Kabir described the initiative as a transparent and inclusive grassroots intervention, while Kaita Local Government Chairman Bello Lawal said the distribution would provide timely relief for residents facing economic challenges.
