Government donates grain to Niger

Nigeria has donated grain to its northern neighbour Niger following reports of a food scarcity in some parts of that country, ‘The Guardian’ newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The Lagos daily quoted an unnamed source as saying that Nigeria’s National Emergency Relief Agency transported some 15 mt of grain to the capital of Niger, Niamey. The newspaper did not say what type of grain was shipped nor when.

Hundreds of people from Niger have crossed the border into Nigeria’s Katsina State in the last few months because of a prolonged drought that has caused a food shortage, the paper reported a recent migrant Saidom Mummouni as saying. Mummouni now a resident of Maradi, some 80 km northwest of state capital Katsina, said the drought forced them to leave their homes in search of work. Many have taken up menial jobs such as security guards, labourers or petty traders in the state capital, the paper said.