The Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, has announced a subsidy initiative to reduce the cost of petrol to N600 per litre for farmers in communities affected by the Boko Haram insurgency. This measure aims to alleviate financial challenges faced by farmers engaged in irrigation farming.
The announcement was made on Friday evening during the launch of a farm input distribution program for over 5,000 displaced farmers in Bama town. In a statement released Saturday by Abdulrahman Bundi, the governor’s Senior Special Assistant on New Media, it was disclosed that the subsidy will significantly reduce the petrol price, which currently ranges from N1,000 to N1,200 per litre in Maiduguri.
“One of the major challenges facing farming communities here, particularly with irrigation farming, is the rising cost of fuel,” Governor Zulum stated. “The government will procure petroleum products and sell them to farmers at a subsidized rate.
While petrol in Maiduguri costs around N1,200 per litre, irrigation farmers will now purchase it for N600 per litre. The Commissioner for Agriculture will collaborate with the Brigade Commander to ensure timely delivery of the fuel to farmers in Bama town.”
In addition to the petrol subsidy, Zulum distributed a range of agricultural inputs to support farmers. These included 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 hoses, 1,000 litres of pesticides, and seeds.
The governor expressed gratitude to the federal government for its support in reconstructing and resettling communities impacted by years of insurgency. He emphasized the state government’s commitment to revitalizing the agricultural sector and improving the livelihoods of displaced farmers.
