The North has received the sum of N50 billion allocation from President Bola Tinubu for the funding of “Pulaaku Initiative” to tackle terrorism and banditry.
This is not part of the defence or internal security budget of the federal government. This is also not part of the budgetary allocation for the North East Development Commission (NEDC). Vice President Kahsim Shettima in an opening speech at a two-day Roundtable on Insecurity in Northern Nigeria, organised by the Coalition of Northern Groups, with the theme “Multi-Dimensional Approach to Tackling Insecurity in Northern Nigeria”, in Abuja, disclosed that “President Bola Tinubu has approved the “Pulaaku Initiative”, a non-kinetic solution, to deal with insurgency and banditry in the North, and has equally allocated the sum of N50 billion to the initiative, in its first instance.”
Shettima, represented by his Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Hadeija, had declared: “every part of the country is equal to the rest, and the government treats the needs of each region as critical.
“For the North, we are also embarking on a transformative journey to address the root causes of the challenges. The Pulaaku Initiative, a non-kinetic solution, has received presidential approval, with an allocation of N50 billion, in the first instance.
“This initiative aims to enhance living conditions and livelihoods in selected states, starting with Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Benue, Zamfara, Niger and Kaduna. The construction of residences, roads, schools and other essential facilities is set to commence, promising to catalyse the fortunes of this region.”
The Vice President further remarked that government’s commitment to tackling insecurity in the country led to the allocation of a larger share of the 2024 budget to security.