The Federal Government of Nigeria has commenced the sale of 30,000 metric tonnes of milled rice to Sokoto State civil servants at a subsidised rate of N40,000 per 50kg bag in an effort to mitigate the impact of the ongoing food crisis.

The flag-off ceremony took place on Thursday at the Cabinet Office in Sokoto and was led by the Sokoto State Head of Service, Alhaji Sulaiman S/Fulani.

Speaking at the event, he urged civil servants to conduct themselves in an orderly manner during the purchasing process.

“This initiative is aimed at alleviating the hardship faced by workers due to the rising cost of food items. I urge all beneficiaries to ensure a smooth and fair distribution process,” he said.

He explained that buyers must provide a code number to obtain a treasury receipt as proof of payment.

“After obtaining the treasury receipt, beneficiaries will be issued a collection receipt indicating their pick-up location and time,” he added.

Alhaji Sulaiman expressed appreciation to Governor Dr. Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto for ensuring that Sokoto was among the first states to benefit from the initiative.

“The Governor’s dedication to the welfare of civil servants played a significant role in bringing this relief package to our state,” he noted.

A Federal Government representative at the event emphasized that strict measures have been put in place to prevent hoarding and ensure fair distribution.

“The rice will be sold on a strict ‘one person, one bag’ basis to ensure that as many people as possible benefit from this subsidy,” the official stated.

He further explained that each beneficiary would be verified using their National Identification Number (NIN) and must present a valid ATM card with N40,000 for payment.

“We are ensuring transparency in this process to avoid any form of exploitation,” he said.

A total of 33 trucks carrying 19,800 bags of rice have been allocated to Sokoto State, with 65% (12,870 bags) designated for state civil servants and the remaining 35% allocated to federal civil servants and private sector workers in the state.