The Borno State Government, led by Governor Babagana Zulum, has announced a subsidy program to provide petrol at N600 per litre for farmers in communities impacted by Boko Haram insurgency.
The announcement was made on Friday evening during the flag-off distribution of farm inputs to over 5,000 displaced farmers in Bama town, as disclosed in a statement issued on Saturday by Zulum’s Senior Special Assistant on New Media, Abdulrahman Bundi.
Farmers in the affected areas have faced severe financial and logistical challenges, including skyrocketing fuel costs, with petrol selling for between N1,000 and N1,200 per litre in Maiduguri. The subsidy aims to alleviate the economic burden on these communities and support irrigation farming efforts.
“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,” Zulum said.
He added, “A litre of petrol is being sold in Maiduguri at the cost of about N1,200, but inshallah, henceforth, for irrigation farmers this season, a litre of petrol will be sold at the rate of N600.”
The governor instructed the Commissioner for Agriculture to collaborate with the Brigade Commander to ensure the prompt delivery of the subsidized petrol to farmers in Bama town.
As part of efforts to restore livelihoods and encourage farming activities, Zulum also distributed essential farm inputs to displaced farmers. These included:
- 2,000 bags of blended NPK fertiliser
- 1,000 units of water pumps
- 620 units of gasoline pumps
- 380 units of solar water pumps
- 1,000 units of sprayers
- 800 rolls of 2-inch flexible hoses
- 1,000 litres of pesticides and seeds, among other items
