The Federal Government has started selling 30,000 metric tonnes of milled rice to Sokoto State civil servants at a subsidized rate of ₦40,000 per 50kg bag, to cushion the economic effect on the workers in the state.
It stated that each of the workers would only have access to buy verifying their identity with their National Identification Number and present an ATM card for payment for one bag of rice.
The distribution, launched at the Cabinet Office in Sokoto, was overseen by the state’s Head of Service, Sulaiman Fulani, who urged buyers to follow the set guidelines.
Fulani stated that each beneficiary would require a code number for payment before receiving a collection receipt with pickup details.
A Federal Government representative, Bello Muhammed, stated that sales would follow a strict “one person, one bag” policy to prevent hoarding.
The rice, transported in 33 trucks carrying 19,800 bags, is allocated primarily to state civil servants (65%), with the rest distributed to federal workers and the private sector.
Officials at the event, including representatives from the Ministry of Environment and Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency, emphasized the initiative’s role in easing the impact of rising food prices.
