The Federal Government has approved N5bn for each state to enable them to procure food items for distribution to the poor in their respective states.

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State disclosed this at the Presidential Villa shortly after the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja.

Thursday’s development comes in the wake of the hike in the cost of food items, and petroleum owing to the removal of subsidy on the commodity.

According to him, the Federal Government also released five trucks of rice each to the 36 state governors.

Explaining further, Governor Zulum said the state governors are to procure 100,000 bags of rice, 40,000 bags of maize, and fertilizers.

He noted that 52 percent of the funds were given to the state governments as grants while 48% is loans.