Sanwo-Olu flags off distribution of food palliatives, says 500k households will benefit

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, says 500,000 vulnerable households will benefit from the distribution of the food items in the state.

Speaking during the flag-off of the distribution of the palliatives on Sunday, Sanwo-Olu said the food bank initiative will be conducted in two phases.

He said religious leaders, people with disabilities (PWDs) and civil society organisations (CSOs) among other stakeholders would be involved in the distribution process.

“I stand before you all today, deeply aware of the challenges that many Lagosians have been facing with regards to the sharp increases in transportation cost and the prices of essential food items across the state as a direct effect of the policy on the removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government,” NAN quoted Sanwo-Olu as saying.

“As a responsive government, we announced a number of measures aimed at ameliorating the effect of the policy on our people, most especially the vulnerable.

“These palliative measures which are already being implemented include a 50 percent reduction in transportation cost in the government-owned bus system and free health services for pregnant women in government hospitals among others.

“One of the measures which we announced and being formally flagged off today is the distribution of food items for vulnerable households through the Lagos food bank programme.

“The strategic goal of this programme is to reach 500,000 vulnerable households in the state with staple food items using two methodologies – bulk and individual.

“Bulk food items include (50kg rice, 50kg garri and 100kg beans) for groups, and food boxes (10kg rice, 5kg garri, and 5kg beans) for individual vulnerable households.

“Overall, this initiative will directly impact 500,000 benefitting households, over 2,500 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises involved in bag manufacturing, food aggregation, packaging, and logistics, while over 25,000 employees of the MSMEs will be indirectly impacted.

“I will like to use this opportunity to solicit for the support of well-meaning and public-spirited individuals and organisations for this programme so that more of our people in need of this intervention can be reached.”

Sanwo-Olu said the government is aware of the hardships the citizens are facing, adding that the food palliative will reach the targeted beneficiaries.