The Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, has announced that the state government will subsidise the cost of petrol to N600 per litre for farmers in communities affected by Boko Haram insurgency while a lawmaker has distributed a total of 2,566 bags of NPK fertilizer for the dry season farming in his constituency.
According to the governor’s Senior Special Assistant on New Media, Abdulrahman Bundi, the governor announced the subsidy during the flag-off distribution of farm inputs to over 5,000 farmers displaced by Boko Haram insurgents in Bama town.
He said a litre of petrol sold between N1,000 and N1,200 in Maiduguri will be subsidised to farmers for N600. “This is aimed at alleviating the financial burdens faced by farmers in communities that have suffered economic and infrastructural destruction due to years of conflict. One of the major challenges that are facing the farming communities here, as regards irrigation farming, is the increasing cost of fuel. As a result, I want to announce to the general public that the government will procure petroleum products and sell them to the farmers at a subsidised rate.
“A litre of petrol is being sold in Maiduguri at the cost of about N1,200 … a litre of petrol will be sold at the rate of N600. The Commissioner for Agriculture will work with the Brigade Commander to ensure the delivery of the petroleum products to farmers in Bama town as soon as possible”, he added, and that Zulum also okayed the distribution of farm inputs, including 2,000 bags of blended NPK fertilizer, 1,000 units of water pumps, and 620 units of gasoline pumps. Other materials include 380 units of solar water pumps, 1,000 units of sprayers, 800 rolls of 2-inch flexible hoses, and 1,000 litres of pesticides and seeds, among others.
Meanwhile, the member representing the Darazo/Ganjuwa Federal Constituency, Hon. Mansur Soro, has distributed a total of 2,566 bags of NPK fertilizer for the 2024 dry season farming in his constituency.
Soro said the intervention was aimed at supporting dry season farmers with free fertilizers, tractors and other implements to boost food production and ensure the availability of the same in the area and Bauchi State by extension. The lawmaker said, “The agricultural intervention is independent of the rainy season support we had institutionalised in the Darazo/Ganjuwa Federal Constituency on an annual basis, in which an estimated 15,000 bags of fertilizers, tractors, among other farm implements, were shared to farmers free of charge”.
Soro recalled that in November 2023, he launched the free distribution of fertilizers to dry season farmers, the first of its kind in the Darazo-Ganjuwa Federal Constituency in Bula irrigation farmlands of Gabarin ward, Darazo LGA, where about 2,000 farmers benefitted.
“To consolidate on the gains, the federal lawmaker flagged off the distribution of 2,566 bags of free NPK fertilizer (15-15-15) to dry season farmers in the constituency. This followed the successful enumeration and clustering of the farmers conducted weeks back in the 17 wards of the federal constituency, where irrigation farmlands are cultivated”, he informed. The lawmaker equally launched the 1st batch of 150 units of the luminous solar street lights for installation at 150 targeted Tsangaya schools in DGFC.
“Our resolve to prioritise public places for the solar installation lies in the need to ensure maximum use of resources for the greater number of our constituents. None of our solar lights should be installed in a private space. The 2nd batch of the installation of 128 units of solar lights is due in the middle of January 2025”, Soro stated.
