How Tinubu’s Govt Spent ₦9.74 Billion On Rice, Beans Palliatives In 2024 – Report

The administration of President Bola Tinubu reportedly expended ₦9.74 billion in 2024 on the procurement and distribution of food items to mitigate the food crisis across Nigeria.

This information was disclosed by BudgIT, a civic-tech organisation focused on promoting transparency and accountability in government spending, via its GovSpend platform.

According to the report, a significant portion of the funds was allocated for essential food staples such as rice, beans, maize, and other commodities.

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security spearheaded the initiative, engaging contractors to deliver palliative food supplies to various federal constituencies nationwide.

Key food distribution efforts included the supply of rice, beans, and garri to vulnerable communities struggling with hunger.

The report revealed that payments averaging ₦85,454,545.46 were made per constituency between February and November 2024.

The palliative program covered states like Kano, Ogun, Osun, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Adamawa, Kaduna, Jigawa, Ekiti, Oyo, Lagos, Bauchi, Rivers, Borno, Sokoto, and Enugu.

The total expenditure on this food intervention program was pegged at ₦9.74 billion, according to BudgIT’s findings.

Meanwhile, the Senator representing Ondo South in the National Assembly, Jimoh Ibrahim, has urged the federal government to give food vouchers to Nigerians as a way of curbing the hardship and hunger in the country.

According to him, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Ministry of Finance also need to harmonize their policies.

Naijaonpoint reports Senator Ibrahim made the suggestion during a press conference held in Washington DC, which also had the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Olayemi Cardoso and the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, in attendance.

The lawmaker submitted that giving out food vouchers would directly impact about 20 million Nigerians, reduce inflation, and stabilize the naira.

The Ogun federal lawmaker stated that when the problem of food and hunger is not solved, the nation is headed for a crisis.