Maryam Aminu
The Federal Government has commenced the distribution of Presidential Emergency Food and Nutrition Items in Borno State as part of a nationwide relief intervention aimed at supporting vulnerable households affected by conflict, displacement and economic hardship.
The initiative was flagged off on Thursday, February 5, 2026, at Ramat Square, Maiduguri, by the Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard M. Doro, who described the intervention as a decisive step towards saving lives, stabilising nutrition and restoring hope among affected populations.
Dr. Doro explained that the emergency food and nutrition intervention covers 10 northern states- Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Benue, Niger, Plateau, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi reflecting the Federal Government’s renewed commitment to food security, humanitarian protection and nutrition stabilisation.
According to the Minister, the Federal Government has approved and mobilised substantial quantities of food and nutrition items nationwide, including rice, beans, millet, maize, groundnut oil, palm oil, tom brown, tomato paste, seasoning cubes, salt and assorted essential medicines.
He disclosed that Borno State has been allocated 8,565 bags each of millet, rice and maize; 8,565 units of groundnut oil; 1,429 cartons of palm oil; 8,565 units of tom brown; 171 cartons of tomato paste; 611 cartons of seasoning cubes; 107 bags of salt, as well as assorted essential medicines, noting that the allocation was guided by humanitarian needs and the number of vulnerable households in the state.
Commending the resilience of the people of Borno, Dr. Doro described the intervention as more than food support, saying it represents dignity, sustenance and renewed hope.
He also applauded security agencies, development partners, community leaders and frontline workers for their sustained support to humanitarian efforts in the state, while urging stakeholders to collaborate closely to ensure a successful distribution.
The Minister assured that the distribution process would be closely monitored to guarantee transparency and ensure that the relief items reach the intended beneficiaries, urging recipients to utilise the items judiciously, particularly in caring for children, pregnant women and the elderly.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Mr. Olubunmi Olusanya, said the exercise marked a significant milestone in addressing food insecurity among the most vulnerable populations, assuring that the Ministry would uphold transparency, fairness and accountability throughout the distribution process.
In his remarks, the Deputy Governor of Borno State, Alhaji (Dr) Umar Usman Kadafur, expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the intervention, describing it as a timely and compassionate response to the humanitarian and nutritional challenges confronting vulnerable households in the state.
Alhaji Kadafur emphasised that food security is a moral imperative and a foundation for sustainable peace and development, assuring that the Borno State Government would ensure a transparent and equitable distribution of the relief items across the state.
He further pledged the state’s commitment to working closely with the Federal Government and relevant stakeholders to ensure that the exercise reaches all intended beneficiaries across the local government areas of the state.
The distribution exercise is expected to cover all local government areas in Borno State.
Dignitaries at the event included the Secretary to the Borno State Government, Bukar Tijani; Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Hon. Ahmed Tijani; state commissioners, directors from the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, and representatives of development partners.
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