The Sokoto State Government has announced plans to spend N998 million on a free feeding programme for the Muslim faithful in the state.

This initiative aims to support vulnerable individuals, including the poor, needy, and physically challenged persons.

Governor Ahmed Aliyu made this disclosure on Tuesday at the inauguration of the Ramadan Feeding Committee.

The state government provided food, chickens, beef, and fruits to over 100 feeding centres across the state in 2024 and extended the gesture to 300 individual feeding centres.

The government has increased the number of feeding centres to 155 from the initial 130, following requests to expand the programme.

This aims to decongest existing centres and make it easier for people to break their fast.

According to Aliyu, the Ramadan feeding programme was first initiated by Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko during his tenure as governor.

The current administration has decided to sustain and expand the gesture saying at least 20,000 people are expected to break their fast in each of the 155 free feeding centres daily for the 30-day duration of Ramadan.

The initiative will provide job opportunities for 610 women and 1,500 ad hoc staff.

The state government had earlier distributed 990 bags of maize and N50,000 to each of the clerics of 90 Juma’at Mosques across the Sokoto metropolis.

Key Islamic groups in the state will receive financial assistance of N200,000 each to 300 scholars, N100,000 each to 100 Ulamas, N50,000 each to 2,900 and Malaman Zaure across the 23 local governments.

Governor Aliyu called on wealthy individuals in the state to open free feeding centres to receive rewards from God during Ramadan.

He also appealed to the public to use the holy fasting month to pray against banditry, insecurity, and criminality in the state and Nigeria at large.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Mohammed Sa’ad Abubakar III, commended the Sokoto State government for its continued support of religious activities in the state.

The state Commissioner of Religious Affairs, Jabir Maihula, noted that the state government is delivering good governance to the people of the state, as promised in their campaign.

The programme will provide meals, including rice cooked with chicken, millet served with bean cake, fruits, dates, and water alongside security.

Additionally, 610 women have been recruited to cook and will be paid daily, with each receiving a wrapper at the end of the programme.

A group of five people, called G-five, will oversee the process and procedure in each feeding centre, totalling over 1,500 ad hoc staff.