FG,s N5 Billion Palliatives Grant, Zulum Raises Target From 300,000 to 400,000 Households

FG’s N5 Billion Palliatives Grant, Zulum Raises Target From 300,000 to 400,000 Households

By Madu Mohammed,, Maiduguri

With the release of additional N5 billion by Federal Government as grant to support state to cushion the effect of subsidy removal, ,the Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has raised the number of households being targeted for palliatives from 300,000 to 400,000 households.

Each household will be made up of six family members to be multiplied by 400,000 which, by implication, moves Zulum’s new target to two million and four hundred thousand (2.4m) individuals.

Governor Babagana Zulum while flagging off the palliative distribution at Bakassi Camp on Tuesday said “today we are here to distribute palliative to 100,000 vulnerable households under the Presidential Initiative, this is in addition to the 300,000 households Borno State Government had rolled out early this month”,.

“You may recall that the Federal Government has announced N5b to all states and with that amount we intend to reach an additional 100,000 vulnerable families

The governor further explained that the Presidential Initiative is a collaboration between the FG, States and Local Governments, where FG,, is granting 52% of the total amount while the State and Local Governments will refund 48% of the amount.

It could be recalled that, Governor Zulum had, on August 1, 2023, while launching a new phase of palliatives’ distribution, announced a target of 300,000 households each with six persons which will multiply to one million eight hundred thousand (1.8m) individuals.

At the time Zulum announced the target, the presidency had not announced its intervention of N5 billion to each of the states, but with the FG intervention

of N5b each he has raising his initial target by additional 100,000 households which will multiply to 600,000 individuals.

Since July, Zulum accelerated palliatives to mitigate the impact of rising fuel prices on the lives of citizens and so far covered Gwoza, Kukawa, Jere and Maiduguri Metropolitan Council to thousands of families benefiting, while the state’ Deputy Governor, Umar Kadafur, on Monday, flagged off a similar distribution in Biu town.

Governor Zulum once again expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his timely support to State Governments, adding that Nigerians in the long term will benefit from President Tinubu’s policies and programmes.

He said the fuel subsidy removal despite the short-term difficulties is seen as a stepping stone towards broader economic reforms aimed at promoting sustainable development in Nigeria.