The Kano State government says it is targeting the distribution of over 3.5 million meals under its 2026 Ramadan feeding programme.

The commissioner for religious affairs, Ahmed Tijjani, said this while inspecting designated cooking centres responsible for preparing and packaging meals for beneficiaries.

Mr Tijjani, who is also the  hairman of the Ramadan feeding programme, said that the inspection was aimed at assessing hygiene conditions, the quality of ingredients, and the general cooking process at the centres.

According to him, the team focuses on cooking facilities and packaging processes rather than distribution.

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

“One of the companies we inspected feeds about 25,000 people daily, while others also prepare between 13,000 and 25,000 meals each day,” he said.

Mr Tijjani said that the programme targets the preparation of about 115,000 meal packages daily throughout the 29 days of Ramadan.

He said that the meals would be distributed across the eight metropolitan pocal government areas of the state.

The commissioner commended the contractors for maintaining good hygiene standards at the cooking centres.

“We inspected the kitchens, the environment, and the packaging process to ensure that the food meets the required hygiene standards.

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

The commissioner said that government officials had intensified monitoring to ensure quality control throughout the programme.

According to him, the supervision has helped address earlier concerns about food quality recorded at the beginning of the exercise.

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

Mr Tijjani also said the government had resolved cases where some individuals attempted to divert food meant for designated distribution centres.

He said that the situation had been addressed in collaboration with local authorities, adding that such cases had reduced significantly.

The chairman said that the cooking centres were also complying with the dietary standards approved by the state government.

“We checked the ingredients being used, including cooking oil, seasoning, and meat, and they meet the required standards,” he said.

Mr Tijjani described the 2026 Ramadan feeding programme as one of the most organised in the state, adding that the government would continue to monitor the exercise to ensure its success.

(NAN)