Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State has announced a petrol subsidy initiative to support farmers in communities affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.
Speaking in Bama town on Friday evening during the distribution of farm inputs to over 5,000 displaced farmers, Zulum revealed that petrol, which costs between ₦1,000 and ₦1,200 per litre in Maiduguri, will be subsidized to ₦600 per litre for the farmers.
The initiative aims to ease the financial burden on farmers in areas severely impacted by economic and infrastructural destruction due to years of conflict.
The governor highlighted the success of a similar program implemented last year in Damasak, Mobar Local Government Area, which significantly boosted food production and improved livelihoods in the region.
“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.”
Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has supplemented the petrol subsidy initiative with the distribution of essential farming inputs to support farmers in Borno State.
The items distributed include 2,000 bags of blended NPK fertilizer, 1,000 water pumps, 620 gasoline pumps, 380 solar water pumps, 1,000 sprayers, 800 rolls of 2-inch flexible hose, 1,000 liters of pesticides, seeds, and other materials.
Zulum also revealed that his administration has constructed over 100 tube wells for irrigation farmers, with approval granted for the construction of an additional 250.
In a related development, the governor visited Darajama and Goniri villages in Bama Local Government Area to assess ongoing reconstruction efforts. Zulum expressed satisfaction with the quality of the work but reiterated his administration’s zero tolerance for any attempts to sabotage the resettlement drive.
He also expressed gratitude to the federal government for its significant support in the reconstruction and resettlement of communities affected by insurgency.