Abba Kabir Yusuf has launched the distribution of 54,600 bags of rice to vulnerable residents as part of the state’s annual Ramadan relief programme.
The exercise was flagged off on Saturday at Maganda Road in Kano, according to a statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa. Yusuf said the initiative, marking the 1447 AH Ramadan, is designed to ease economic hardship during the fasting period.
A total of 91 trucks of 50kg bags of rice have been earmarked for distribution across the state’s 44 local government areas and selected groups. Forty-four trucks will go directly to the local governments, while the remaining 47 will be allocated to designated beneficiaries.
The governor said committees have been set up at state and local levels to oversee the distribution process and ensure transparency. The state committee is chaired by the Secretary to the State Government, with the Ministry of Agriculture serving as the coordinating body. Yusuf also urged the Federal Government and private individuals to support efforts to cushion hardship during Ramadan.
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin commended the intervention, saying it would help reduce anxiety among residents. The Chairperson of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Kano, Sa’adatu Yushau Soja, pledged that the items would be fairly distributed.
In a separate event on Saturday, the Kano Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists inaugurated its first cooperative society and unveiled trustees for the platform at the Press Centre in Kano. The chapel also launched a Ramadan food distribution programme for its members.
Trustees inaugurated include Associate Professor Sule Ya’u Sule; Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa; and Hajiya Bilkisu Shehu Mai Mota, Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Office.
Chairman of the chapel, Murtala Adewale, described the initiative as a milestone and disclosed that the Kano State Government provided a N10 million seed fund. He said N3 million has been set aside for Ramadan food items, with members eligible to access up to N100,000 worth of food or combined food and cash support under flexible repayment terms.
Speakers at the event, including former NUJ Kano State Council Chairman Abbas Ibrahim and Commissioner for Commerce, Trade and Investment Shehu Sagagi, emphasised prudent management, transparency and adherence to cooperative laws to ensure sustainability. They said the cooperative would strengthen members’ welfare and professional independence.
