COVID-19: Lagos govt to distribute food items to residents

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Friday, unveiled an economic stimulus package for the indigent and the most vulnerable in the society.

This comes a few days after the state government issued a stay-at-home directive to residents in a bid to check the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

The stimulus, which comes in food packs, to be distributed to every local government areas in the state, is aimed at cushioning the effect of the 14- day stay-at-home directive.

Sanwo-Olu, who disclosed this after an on-the-spot assessment of one of the state-owned food banks, located inside the premises of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives in Agege, said the economic stimulus would reduce the burden of the temporary economic downturn caused by the outbreak of the COVID-19 on the citizens.

According to him, the food packs, which were put together by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives would reach the most vulnerable communities and households across Lagos.

He added that the indigents who rely on daily wages would be given priority in the arrangement.

Sanwo-Olu said: ‘‘We are here for an on-the-spot assessment, of our readiness, to see how we can fast -track some of our stimulus package for our citizens. We are all aware that this is a trying time for our citizens and since the partial drop in economic activities, our government deemed it necessary to reach out to the vulnerable ones in the society.

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“These people are those that fall below the pyramid, the aged and the physically challenged who need to move from one part of the city to another for them to have a living. We felt that as a government, the least we can do is to identify them and give them these stimulus packages immediately.’’

The governor told journalists the package would touch, at least, 200,000 households in the first phase, saying the food packs are produced for a size of six people per household and would last for at least 14 days.

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