Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, has announced a major subsidy on petrol prices for farmers in insurgency-affected areas.
The move is intended to help irrigation farmers who have struggled with rising costs of fuel due to years of conflict that have disrupted livelihoods and economic activities.
Governor Zulum made this announcement during the distribution of agricultural supplies to over 5,000 farmers in Bama town.
Farmers in these communities will now be able to purchase petrol at ₦600 per litre, a sharp reduction from the usual price of ₦1,000 to ₦1,200 in Maiduguri.
“One of the major challenges that are facing the farming communities here as regards irrigation farming is the increasing cost of fuel, as a result, I want to announce to the general public that the government will procure petroleum products and sell them to the farmers at a subsided rate, a litre of petrol is being sold in Maiduguri at the cost of about N1,200 but in sha Allah, henceforth for irrigation farmers this season a litre of petrol will be sold at the rate of N600,” the Governor said.
This intervention is expected to alleviate the financial burden on farmers and encourage increased agricultural production.
The governor pointed out that similar support provided in Damasak, Mobar Local Government Area, last year resulted in improved food production and better living conditions for the farmers involved.
With the new subsidy, Zulum said he hopes to replicate those results and empower more communities to recover from the economic challenges caused by the insurgency.
As part of the initiative, the governor directed the Commissioner for Agriculture to work closely with the Brigade Commander to ensure the swift delivery of petrol to farmers in Bama town. This collaboration is intended to facilitate access to fuel for irrigation farming and ensure that the intervention reaches the intended beneficiaries without delay.
In addition to the fuel subsidy, Zulum distributed a wide range of farming tools and materials to support agricultural activities in the region. These included 2,000 bags of blended NPK fertiliser, 1,000 water pumps, and 620 gasoline pumps. Other items provided were 380 solar-powered water pumps, 1,000 sprayers, 800 rolls of 2-inch flexible hoses, 1,000 litres of pesticides, and seeds.
The governor said these resources are aimed at boosting farming activities and improving food security in the affected areas.
