Kano Targets 3.5 Million Beneficiaries in 2026 Ramadan Feeding Programme

By Bosede Olufunmi

The Kano State Government has announced plans to distribute more than 3.5 million meals to residents under its 2026 Ramadan Feeding Programme.

The Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Alhaji Ahmed Tijjani, disclosed this while inspecting several cooking centres responsible for preparing and packaging meals for beneficiaries across the state.

Tijjani, who also serves as Chairman of the Ramadan Feeding Programme Committee, said the inspection was aimed at ensuring proper hygiene, quality ingredients, and standard cooking processes at the designated centres.
According to him, the monitoring exercise focuses mainly on cooking facilities and packaging operations rather than the distribution stage.

“We visited some of the major contractors responsible for preparing large quantities of meals daily for the programme,” he said.

“One of the companies we inspected prepares meals for about 25,000 people daily, while others produce between 13,000 and 25,000 meals each day.”

He explained that the programme is designed to produce approximately 115,000 meal packages daily throughout the 29 days of Ramadan.

The meals will be distributed across the eight metropolitan Local Government Areas of Kano State to support residents observing the fasting period.

Tijjani commended contractors for maintaining acceptable hygiene standards at the cooking centres.

“We inspected the kitchens, surrounding environment, and the packaging process to ensure the meals meet the required hygiene standards.

“We are satisfied with what we saw. The level of cleanliness and the quality of food being prepared are commendable,” he said.

The commissioner added that government officials had intensified supervision to ensure strict quality control throughout the programme.

“For the past two weeks, we have been visiting different centres to monitor both the quantity and quality of meals being prepared,” he noted.

He also revealed that authorities had addressed cases where some individuals attempted to divert food meant for designated distribution centres.

According to him, the issue was resolved in collaboration with local authorities, leading to a significant reduction in such incidents.

Tijjani further stated that the cooking centres are complying with the dietary standards approved by the state government, including the use of quality cooking oil, seasoning, and meat.

He described the 2026 Ramadan Feeding Programme as one of the most organised initiatives of its kind in the state, assuring that the government would continue close monitoring to ensure its success.