The Akwa Ibom State government has taken significant steps to alleviate the food crisis by doubling the rice donation initially provided by the Federal Government. The Federal Government had donated 24,000 bags of rice to the state, and the state government has matched this with an additional 24,000 bags of 25kg rice. This effort aims to reach more families in need of support.
Dr. Offiong Offor, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, revealed this information during a press briefing at the NIJ Secretariat in Uyo on Friday. She emphasized that Governor Umo Eno is committed to addressing hunger and poverty, opting for proactive solutions rather than engaging in blame games.
According to Dr. Offor, each of the 2,272 officially recognized villages in Akwa Ibom will receive 20 bags of rice. Moreover, over 100,000 families listed in the social register, who have already received or will soon receive food aid from the state government through the Bulk Purchase Agency, will be included in this distribution.
The distribution process for the rice donated by both the Federal and State Governments will take place at Local Government Council Headquarters. From there, Council Chairmen will ensure the rice is safely transported to each village. The specific dates for distribution will be announced soon.
In a statement, Dr. Offor highlighted the critical situation: “We are currently facing a significant developmental challenge: hunger caused by food insufficiency, unavailability, and inflation. This issue, a direct result of macro-economic factors, poses a challenge to both federal and state governments. This intervention aims to mitigate the hardship currently faced by our citizens, reducing extreme hunger and poverty in line with Sustainable Development Goal 1.”
Dr. Offor also mentioned the state government’s long-term strategy to combat food insecurity. This includes the “Back to Farm Initiative,” which encourages local food production. As part of this initiative, the first and third Fridays of each month are designated as work-free farming days.
In addition to the rice distribution, the Ministry of Agriculture has implemented various measures to support local agriculture. These include distributing cassava cuttings, maize grains, pepper seedlings, and coconut seedlings to 135 public primary and secondary schools. Cocoa farmers have received 150,000 cocoa seedlings, oil palm farmers have been given 40,000 oil palm seedlings, vegetable farmers have received 80,000 pepper seedlings, and rice farmers have been provided with 20 metric tonnes of rice. Livestock and poultry farmers have also benefited from these initiatives.
Furthermore, the government has provided livelihood grants of N150,000 to 1,560 beneficiaries and agricultural inputs and services to 900 farmers under the AKCARES Scheme.
