In order to lessen the biting effects of the removal of fuel subsidy in Nigeria, and its subsequent economic impact on people in the state, Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has reduced the price of fertiliser being sold to farmers to ₦15,000 per bag from the initial price of ₦ 19,000.
This development is also consistent with the National Economic Council’s (NEC) advice, which urged states to develop their own responses to the removal of subsidies as well as plans to increase food production within their own borders.
All state-owned fertiliser selling points/agents across the 11 local government areas are to immediately comply with this directive, according to Professor Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi, the State Government’s Secretary, who on Tuesday announced the new measures for Governor Inuwa Yahaya. He also said that the sales and distribution committee should strictly sell to farmers only as a last resort.
As you may remember, Governor Inuwa launched the sales of fertiliser and other agricultural inputs in Gombe State on June 19, 2023, with 166 truckloads of the product at a subsidised price of nineteen thousand naira (₦19,000) per bag as opposed to the market price of twenty-six thousand naira (₦ 26,000).
He also established a committee to ensure the smooth sale and distribution of fertiliser in the 114 wards spread across the State’s 11 Local Government Areas, ensuring that the commodity reached ordinary farmers.
Recently, the Governor also established a committee that went around all the LGAs and distributed food to the most vulnerable residents – the bottom poor – as his personal support to bring succour to them, while the government sets in motion machinery to embark on a full-scale palliative distribution.
In the area of public transportation, Governor Inuwa had previously directed the state-owned Gombe Line to implement measures to ensure that residents can travel without incurring a significant financial burden.
The company has maintained a functional fleet that provides subsidised and effective transportation services to mitigate the effects of the removal of fuel subsidies while also ensuring passenger comfort and safety.