The Yobe State government has announced the rollout of its End-of-Year Food Basket Outreach to support vulnerable households during the festive season. According to officials, His Excellency Governor Mai Mala Buni, CON, directed the initiative “to strengthen community bonds and ensure families can celebrate Christmas with dignity, joy, and a sense of belonging.” The distribution will take place from 15th to 20th December 2025 in Potiskum, Gashua and Damaturu.
This year’s programme will prioritise orphans, widows, persons with special needs and households facing economic hardship. Each basket will contain essential food items tailored to meet basic family needs, particularly for low income earners and internally displaced persons. Authorities say the intervention reflects the Governor’s “continued commitment to human welfare, social support, and inclusive governance.”
State officials explained that community and religious leaders will participate in the selection and monitoring process to ensure accountability and transparency in line with AAP principles. More operational details are expected to be shared in the coming days.
The initiative comes as Yobe continues to face humanitarian challenges. In July, a National Bureau of Statistics report ranked the state among those with the highest multidimensional poverty burden, with large numbers of internally displaced persons still dependent on relief. Civil society groups earlier urged the government to “expand direct household support schemes,” saying previous aid reached too few vulnerable residents. The seasonal food basket programme is described by officials as a response to those concerns.
In October, flash floods displaced more than 15,000 households across Bade, Jakusko and Fune LGAs, forcing the state government to open emergency shelters and distribute food assistance. Governor Buni said the repeated shocks showed “the need for structured welfare support beyond disaster response.” The End-of-Year outreach builds on those earlier efforts, targeting families still recovering from losses and food insecurity during the flooding season.
