BY MUSA IDRIS UMAR, FEBRUARY 17, 2026 | 07:01 PM
No fewer than 300,000 vulnerable households across the 27 local government areas of Borno State have begun receiving Ramadan food support aimed at easing hardship during the holy month.
The beneficiaries, drawn largely from widows, orphans, internally displaced persons (IDPs), struggling farmers and low-income earners, are each receiving one bag of rice (25kg), one bag of millet (25kg) and 10 kilograms of sugar to support their families through the fasting period.
At the flag-off ceremony held at Ramat Square in Maiduguri on Tuesday, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum said the intervention was specifically targeted at residents facing economic difficulties.
He emphasised that the items were meant strictly for those in genuine need, including 'the widow, the orphan, the internally displaced, the farmer whose fields have not fully recovered, and the daily wage earner struggling to make ends meet,' warning that any diversion of the food items would attract legal consequences.
For many beneficiaries, the support comes at a critical time as rising food prices and lingering economic challenges continue to affect households across the state, particularly those still recovering from years of insurgency and displacement.
The distribution is also being extended to Christian residents observing Lent, which coincides with Ramadan this year, ensuring that vulnerable families across religious lines benefit from the intervention.
In recent years, vulnerable Christian communities in the state have also received food assistance during Christmas celebrations, alongside transportation support for non-indigenes travelling to reunite with their families.
Officials of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said measures have been put in place to ensure a smooth and transparent distribution process across all local government areas.
Community leaders and stakeholders who attended the ceremony described the initiative as timely, noting that it would significantly reduce the burden on struggling families during the fasting season.