Yobe Approves N460.8m to Support Akara Sellers, Other Female Traders

The Yobe State Executive Council has approved over N460.8 million for the procurement of beans to be distributed to female small business owners, including akara sellers, across the state.

The approval was part of a broader package of over N73.3 billion ratified during a council meeting on Thursday, presided over by Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, in Damaturu.

Announcing the approvals, the Commissioner for Information, Home Affairs and Culture, Abdullahi Bego, said the beans would be distributed alongside cooking oil, smokeless stoves, cooking utensils, and kitchen wares already procured and stored by the Ministry of Wealth Creation, Empowerment and Employment Generation. A total of 1,780 bags of 50-kilogramme beans will be shared among beneficiaries.

The council also approved N364.4 million for the procurement of 1,000 units of Yamaha GX 390 grinding machines to support other small business owners across the state.

Beyond the empowerment packages, the council ratified N28.5 billion for agricultural tools and implements under the governor’s mega agriculture empowerment programme for 2026, and nearly N24 billion for two major road projects, including the rehabilitation of the 45-kilometre Kalallawa-Kaliyari road spanning Damaturu and Tarmuwa local government areas.

Other approvals covered N4.9 billion for the Buni-Yadi Modern Motor Park and Grains Market, N5.6 billion for perimeter works at the Damaturu Modern Motor Park, and N2.2 billion for the purchase of 208 housing units from the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.

Bego said the approvals reflected the Buni administration’s commitment to improving living conditions across Yobe State.

The empowerment scheme comes weeks after remarks by Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, on supporting akara sellers and other petty traders sparked national debate over the scale of government support available to small-scale entrepreneurs.