The Kano State Government has expanded its 2026 Ramadan feeding programme to 115 centres across the state, committing over ₦4.5 billion to provide daily meals for thousands of residents during the fasting period.
The initiative is designed to support vulnerable households during Ramadan while also stimulating economic activity across local markets and creating temporary employment opportunities for residents.
Chairman of the Kano State Ramadan Feeding Committee and Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Ahmed Tijani Saniyawalu, said each of the 115 feeding centres distributes about 1,000 plates of food daily to residents observing the fast.
According to him, the state government significantly increased the scale of the programme compared to last year, when about 100 centres operated with a budget of roughly ₦2.5 billion.
“This year we have 115 centres and more than ₦4.5 billion has been expended on the project. From my own point of view, this is the best Ramadan feeding we have had in Kano in terms of quality, organisation and supervision,” Saniyawalu said.
He explained that the programme was designed not only to provide relief for residents during Ramadan but also to ensure proper monitoring of food quality, hygiene and distribution across all feeding centres.
Saniyawalu noted that government officials have been conducting daily inspection visits to kitchens preparing the meals to ensure vendors follow the guidelines set by the state government.
“For the past 16 days, we have been going round the centres on the strict instruction of His Excellency to make sure the quality and quantity of the food are adequate, and that distribution is properly done,” he said.
The commissioner stated that each meal costs an estimated ₦1,300 per plate, with large kitchens producing tens of thousands of meals daily to meet the demand from feeding centres across the state.
He added that two of the major kitchens currently supplying the programme produce roughly 50,000 meals daily, with each facility preparing around 25,000 plates of food every day.
At one of the participating facilities, Meena Event Centre, catering manager Ina Zein said the centre prepares approximately 25,000 plates of food daily and cooks about 96 bags of rice every day to meet the growing demand for the programme.
She said the scale of the operation required the company to expand its workforce significantly during the Ramadan period.
“Meena already had about 300 employees, but we added about 250 more staff to handle the 25,000 food packs we prepare every day,” Zein said.
Vendors involved in the programme also confirmed that the feeding initiative has created significant employment opportunities during Ramadan.
Hajiya Sa’ad Adda’u, owner of 10 to 10 Restaurants, said she had to hire more than 240 ad-hoc workers to assist with food preparation and distribution for the programme.
The expansion has also increased demand for food items and kitchen supplies in local markets across the state.
Saniyawalu said the injection of funds into the feeding programme has helped stimulate trading activities among food suppliers, market vendors and service providers.
“When you inject this huge amount of money into the economy, you see the markets moving — people selling onions, seasoning, cooking oil, spoons and other items. The money circulates within the economy,” he said.
Workers participating in the programme also expressed appreciation for the temporary jobs created during the fasting period.
Speaking on behalf of staff working at one of the kitchens, the head of the packaging team, Mr. Abong Shem, said the programme had provided meaningful work for many people who would otherwise remain idle during Ramadan.
“Most of us usually stay idle during Ramadan, but this programme has engaged many people and provided jobs for us,” he said.
Secretary of the Ramadan Feeding Committee and Special Adviser to the Governor on Administration, Aikibu Issa Murtala, was also part of the inspection team visiting feeding centres and major kitchens involved in the programme.
