[ICYMI] Tinubu approves N50,000 grant and N155 billion food package for households

President Bola Tinubu approved the National Construction and Household Support Programme at the National Economic Council meeting in Abuja on Thursday.

According to a statement released by presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale, the program aims to increase agricultural productivity, develop the economy, and provide urgent economic relief to Nigerian people.

Ngelale stated that the NEC-supported programme comprises cash allocations and infrastructure projects across the country’s geopolitical zones.

He also stated that the approval of the N50,000 uplift grant, which will be paid to 100,000 families per state for three months, is a critical component of the programme.

Ngelale disclosed that an additional N155 billion had been set aside for the procurement and dissemination of various food items throughout the country in order to tackle issues related to food affordability and security.

He said that the program will also support infrastructural projects, like as the seven-state Sokoto-Badagry Highway, which is essential for the sustainability of agriculture. He continued by saying that the states along this axis make up the country’s food belt.

The Trans-Saharan Highway and the current Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway are examples of further infrastructure projects. Additionally, Tinubu approved full counterpart finance for the Lagos-Kano Standard-Gauge Railway’s Ibadan-Abuja segment as well as the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Railway.

Ngelale added that the NEC had authorized the N10 billion allotment to each state and the Federal Capital Territory for the purchase of buses and the execution of the program to upgrade compressed natural gas, in addition to the projects.

Provisions were also created for labor unions and civic society organizations, according to the presidential spokesman.

Tinubu asked state governors to work together to address the needs of the populace and increase food production in the nation during the NEC meeting.

He said, “Our states must work together to deliver on the critical reforms required of us to meet the needs of our people. Time is humanity’s most precious asset. You can never have enough of it. It is getting late.

“We are ready and able to support you in the form of the mechanization of your agricultural processes and the provision of high-quality seedlings.

“We are prepared to provide solar-powered irrigation facilities to support our farmers across seasons, but we must now produce. We must produce the food our people eat, and it will require coordination and intentionality between members of the National Economic Council (NEC).

“There is nothing we are doing that is more important than producing high-quality food for our people to consume, buy, and sell. We create jobs in the production of it. And that is before we generate wealth by exporting the excess. It is not beyond us to achieve this for Nigerians.

“How much support do you need from me, and in what form? I am prepared to provide it. But we must achieve the result. We must deliver on our targets at all levels. Please report back following your consultations and submit to my office within seven days.”