By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard Doro, has flagged off the distribution of Presidential Emergency Food and Nutrition Items on Thursday at Ramat Square, Maiduguri, Borno State.
Doro explained that the Presidential Emergency Food and Nutrition Intervention covers 10 states in Northern Nigeria, including Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Benue, Niger, Plateau, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, and Kebbi.
The distribution of food
items is aimed at providing immediate relief to vulnerable households affected by conflict, displacement, and economic hardship the minister said.
Doro stated that the initiative is a deliberate, coordinated effort to stabilize nutrition, protect lives and restore hope to the affected populations.
“Today’s intervention is a decisive step, not only emergency relief; it is a deliberate, coordinated effort to stabilize nutrition, protect lives, and restore hope.”
According to him, Nationwide, the Federal Government has approved and mobilized significant quantities of food items, including rice, beans, millet, maize, groundnut oil, palm oil, tom brown, tomato paste, seasoning cubes, salt, and assorted essential medicines.
“This scale reflects the seriousness of Government’s commitment to food security, nutrition stabilization, and humanitarian protection”, the minister added.
Speaking further, Doro revealed that the Borno state has been allocated 8,565 bags of millet, 8,565 bags of rice, 8,565 bags of maize, 8,565 units of groundnut oil, 1,429 cartons of palm oil, 8,565 units of tom brown, 171 cartons of tomato paste, 611 cartons of seasoning cubes, 107 bags of salt, and assorted essential medicines. He explained that the allocation is based on the state’s humanitarian needs and the number of vulnerable households.
He commended the people of Borno for their strength and perseverance, which he described as support, sustenance, dignity, and renewed hope.”
He also commended the Security Agencies, Development Partners, Community leaders, and Frontline Workers for their continued support to the humanitarian efforts in Borno State.
Furthermore, he also urged the beneficiaries to utilize the food and nutrition items judiciously to support their households, especially the children, pregnant women, and the elderly.
The minister further assured that the distribution process will be monitored closely to ensure that the food items reach the intended beneficiaries.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Mr. Olubunmi Olusanya, stated that the distribution exercise marks a significant step towards collective efforts to address food insecurity and humanitarian needs among the most vulnerable populations.
He emphasized the Ministry’s commitment to ensuring that the distribution process is transparent, fair, and accountable.
The Deputy Governor of Borno State, Dr. Umar Usman Kadafur, expressed profound gratitude to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the initiative, highlighting its impact on food security and nutrition in the state.
He noted that the intervention is a timely and compassionate response to the prevailing humanitarian and nutritional challenges faced by vulnerable households across the state.
“This intervention is a timely and compassionate response to the prevailing humanitarian and nutritional challenges faced by vulnerable households across our state, the Deputy Governor said.
He also emphasized, food security is not merely a social obligation; it is a moral imperative and a cornerstone of sustainable peace and development, noting that the distribution of the food items would be seamless with transparency, fairness, and accountability to support households especially, to the
especially children, pregnant women, and the elderly.
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