Another State to Share Free Food, Other Palliatives Amid Hardship, Promises N50k for Each Student

• Ogun State is set to begin distribution of rice at a subsidised rate to cushion the hardship faced by residents
• The governor of the state, Dapo Abiodun, announced that the old and vulnerable will receive foodstuff for free
• He also promised to give students of Ogun state origin schooling across different parts of Nigeria the sum of N50,000 each

Legit.ng journalist Zainab Iwayemi has over three years of experience covering the Economy, Technology, and Capital Market.

To mitigate the impact of the national increase in the price of products, Ogun State has bought 100 trucks' worth of rice to sell to its citizens at a reduced price.

This was said by the state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, during a meeting of stakeholders in the state capital of Abeokuta.

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This comes after the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) announced that rice and other food commodities will be sold to the general public in Lagos and other regions of the country starting today, Friday, February 23, 2024.

Food to be subsidised, shared for free

Prince Abiodun said that rice would be provided at the same price as before the recent sharp increase in commodity prices and would also be subsidised.

Nonetheless, he said free allocation will be granted to the elderly and the vulnerable, according to a Champions News report.

He said:

“We have decided to give our people foodstuffs like rice, garri, beans. I have ordered almost 100 trailers of rice. They will start offloading them soon.

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“We have decided that the poor, the elderly, and the vulnerable will be given the rice free of charge, while others will have to buy the rice at the price we formally bought it before the dollar rose very high so that it won’t be a one-off and we can continue till the issue of the dollar is settled.”

Students to receive N50,000 each

Abiodun mentioned that his administration announced an intervention worth more than N5 billion last week.

He said that this was part of its action to lessen the impact after realising the current difficulties the nation was suffering.

According to the governor, tertiary students originating from Ogun State will get N50,000 each nationwide.

Abiodun stated that the 800,000 children in the secondary and primary school category will be divided into phases, with N10,000 going to each student in the first phase.

While they waited for the next stage, those who weren't caught immediately would receive five exercise books.

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The governor announced that insurance cards worth N18,000 to provide free medical care to women and the elderly will be granted.

Abiodun added that his administration would set aside almost N500 million each month to cover the deductions that state public sector employees must pay.

Governor Abiodun pleaded with Nigerians, particularly the younger generation, to avoid letting shady characters take advantage of them in order to undermine national harmony.

He said:

“It is now so bad that they have planned to use our youths, give them money to disrupt the peace of the country by staging protests.

“What we going through isn’t what other countries around the world haven’t also experienced. But they were very patriotic, calm because they know the solution is on the way.”

Lagos state begins loan program for business owners

Legit.ng reported that the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund(LSETF) has opened an application portal for its Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises loan programme.

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Business owners can receive a loan of up to N5 million to scale their operations.

According to a statement released on Monday, February 19, 2024, LSETF said the loan portal allows entrepreneurs to apply for a loan to fuel their business growth.

Source: Legit.ng