The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has announced plans to distribute palliatives to residents in response to the increasing costs of food items in Nigeria. Maj Gen Paul Tarfa (rtd), Chairman of the NEDC Board, disclosed this in Abuja on Thursday, stating that the initiative aligns with the Federal Government's efforts, led by President Bola Tinubu, to alleviate the hardships faced by people nationwide.
Gen. Tarfa outlined the distribution plan, which includes 300,000 bags of rice, 200,000 cartons of spaghetti and macaroni, 100,000 cartons of sugar, and 100,000 bags of branded mats for states in the North East region: Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba, Gombe, and Bauchi. Additionally, the distribution will include 100,000 branded blankets, 100,000 sets of men's clothing (shedda), 100,000 women's wrappers, 100,000 pieces of children's clothing, and 100,000 cartons of vegetable oil.
During the Commission's first meeting under the new administration, Gen. Tarfa and Alhaji Mohammed Alkali, Managing Director of the NEDC, made significant decisions regarding the region's over 600 development projects. They committed to completing all ongoing road projects and 500 housing units for the rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
As part of efforts to reduce transport costs and create job opportunities for youths in the region, the NEDC will also procure and deploy an unspecified number of e-vehicles for transportation across the six states in the zone.
