Sanwoolu meets with Dangote and Otedola to plan distributing 80,000 bags of rice to Lagosians

GOVERNOR Babajide Sanwoolu of Lagos State and the chairman of the Dangote Group Alhaji Aliko Dangote along with the chairman of First Bank of Nigeria Otunba Femi Otedola have held a meeting to draw up plans to distribute 80,000 bags of rice across the state.

Inflation is running riot in Nigeria at the moment, pushing the price of basic foodstuffs beyond the reach of many. With governments across the country forced to offer palliatives to the hungry, the Lagos State governor has drawn up plans to distribute 80,000 10kg bags of rice that were donated by the Dangote Foundation to citizens across the state.

Jubril Gawat, Governor Sanwoolu's spokesman, said the rice in question was donated by the Dangote Foundation and is being handed out to vulnerable communities across the state. Like all the other 35 states across the country, Lagos is having to deal with the problem of getting foodstuffs to people who can no longer afford to buy it on the open market.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), inflation rose to 29.9% during the course of January this year from 28.92% recorded in December 2023, with rising food prices being the main catalyst behind the surge. Then the inflation rate rose to 31.7% during the course of February this year from the 29.9% that was recorded during January.

Ever since the federal government removed petrol subsidies, the cost of living has just escalated across the country, pushing the price of basic foodstuffs beyond reach. Many commentators have blamed the government policy of removing the petrol subsidy as being responsible for the crisis.