Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago has described the private sector as a critical player in overcoming hardship in the society.
The Governor stated this at the distribution of rice donated by Dangote Foundation as a National Food Intervention programme for vulnerable people in the State, held in Minna.
Represented by his Deputy, Comrade Yakubu Garba, the Governor noted that poverty and hunger are multidimensional and a challenge that is piercing through the fabric of the society.
He decried how poverty and hunger have shattered many families with criminal tendencies being manifested, pointing out that it is a menace that should be tackled quickly.
The Governor highlighted the various efforts of the State government in achieving its desire of feeding the nation, and ameliorating the sufferings of the people through various interventions like the subsidy on grains for Ramadan Fast among others.
He appreciated the Dangote Foundation for the gesture and assured that the government is working tirelessly to eliminate poverty and hunger while calling on other well-to-do individuals and groups to emulate as the task is a collective one.
The Group General Manager, Dangote Industries Ltd Abuja Office, Alh. Ahmed Hashim explained that the National Food Intervention programme of the Foundation was kick-started in Kano State recently and that the target is that 1million bags of 10 kg rice will be distributed to vulnerable people in all the 774 local government areas across the country.
He said Niger State received about 30,000 bags of 10 kg bags of the rice and that the Foundation decided to use stakeholders in respective States in the distribution to make the process easier and ensure that it reaches out to the target beneficiaries.
Alh. Hashim promised that the Dangote Foundation will continue in its quest to reduce hunger and increase the wellbeing of the people.
