Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, has announced a significant subsidy on the cost of petrol for farmers in communities severely impacted by the Boko Haram insurgency.
This move is aimed at easing the financial strain on local farmers in these areas.
The governor made the announcement on Friday evening in Bama town during the launch of a distribution program for farm inputs to over 5,000 farmers who were displaced due to the insurgency.
Zulum revealed that a litre of petrol, which is currently priced between N1,000 and N1,200 in Maiduguri, will be sold to these farmers for N600.
This subsidy is designed to help mitigate the economic hardships faced by farmers in conflict-affected regions.
The governor further explained that a similar initiative in the Damasak region of Mobar Local Government Area had led to increased food production and enhanced livelihoods for local communities. He highlighted that one of the key challenges for farming communities, especially those involved in irrigation farming, is the rising cost of fuel. As a result, the state government has decided to intervene by procuring petroleum products and offering them at the subsidized rate.
To ensure the successful implementation of this program, Zulum announced that the Commissioner for Agriculture would collaborate with the Brigade Commander to facilitate the swift delivery of petroleum products to farmers in Bama town.
In addition to the petrol subsidy, Governor Zulum distributed various farm inputs to the farmers, including 2,000 bags of blended NPK fertiliser, 1,000 units of water pumps, and 620 gasoline pumps. Other provided materials included 380 solar water pumps, 1,000 sprayers, 800 rolls of 2-inch flexible hoses, as well as 1,000 litres of pesticides and seeds.
Zulum also emphasized his administration’s commitment to supporting irrigation farmers by announcing the completion of over 100 tube wells for their use, with plans for the construction of an additional 250 wells.
In a separate development, the governor visited Darajama and Goniri villages in Bama Local Government to assess the ongoing reconstruction efforts in the area. He expressed satisfaction with the quality of the ongoing work and reaffirmed that his administration would not tolerate any attempts to undermine the resettlement process.
Governor Zulum also took the opportunity to express his gratitude to the federal government for its support in the reconstruction and resettlement of communities affected by insurgency in the state.
“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 subsided rate, a litre of petrol is being sold in Maiduguri at the cost of about N1,200 but in sha Allah, henceforth for irrigation farmers this season a litre of petrol will be sold at the rate of N600,” Zulum said.
The governor also said, “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.”
