Government splashes #460.8M on beans for Akara sellers
Government splashes #460.8M on beans for Akara sellers
….APPROVES ₦73BN PROJECTS….
The Yobe State Government has sparked debate after approving ₦460.83 million to purchase beans for distribution to female small business owners, including akara sellers, as part of its latest empowerment programme.
The development comes just weeks after Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, encouraged women to venture into small businesses such as akara, kuli-kuli and corn trading as a means of supporting their families and improving household incomes.
The decision was reached during the State Executive Council meeting chaired by Governor Mai Mala Buni in Damaturu on Thursday and has drawn attention because of the scale of spending on beans at a time the government also approved multi-billion-naira projects across key sectors.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, the Commissioner for Home Affairs, Information and Culture, Abdullahi Bego, said the approved funds would be used to procure 1,780 bags of 50kg beans for distribution to women engaged in small-scale businesses. The beneficiaries will also receive cooking oil, smokeless stoves, cooking utensils and other kitchen equipment already procured by the Ministry of Wealth Creation, Empowerment and Employment Generation.
Bego said the intervention is aimed at improving the livelihoods of women entrepreneurs and strengthening small-scale businesses across the state.
The council also approved ₦364.48 million for the purchase of 1,000 Yamaha GX 390 grinding machines to be distributed under the state’s empowerment programme.
Beyond the empowerment packages, the Executive Council endorsed projects and services worth ₦73.32 billion, including ₦28.53 billion for agricultural tools and implements under the 2026 Mega Agricultural Empowerment Programme and ₦23.97 billion for two major road projects, alongside funding for housing, markets and other infrastructure.
While the government says the approvals are intended to boost economic empowerment and development, the allocation of nearly half a billion naira for beans has already generated public discussion over spending priorities and the most effective approach to supporting small businesses.
