President Bola Tinubu has directed the nationwide distribution of rice to support Nigerians observing both the Ramadan and Lenten fasts, in a move framed as a gesture of solidarity and compassion across religious lines.

The initiative is being coordinated by the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, a political support group for the president, working through its grassroots structures in all states of the federation. The group’s Director-General and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, announced the directive in a statement, explaining that the food support is intended to ease hardship and reinforce a sense of shared national identity during a spiritually significant period for Muslims and Christians alike.

Uzodinma said the president’s instruction reflects a deliberate effort to use religious seasons as opportunities to promote unity, rather than division. He described Ramadan and Lent as times that call for sacrifice, charity and care for the vulnerable, adding that the rice distribution is designed to ensure that families “feel the spirit of togetherness” regardless of their faith or location.

According to the statement, the Renewed Hope Ambassadors will rely on their nationwide network to identify beneficiaries and deliver the rice directly to communities. The group is expected to work with local coordinators, religious leaders and community-based organisations to reach households in both urban and rural areas, with particular attention to low-income families.

The presidency has in recent months leaned on food interventions as a way of cushioning the impact of rising living costs and inflation on ordinary Nigerians. A similar rice distribution was carried out during the last Christmas season, targeting Christian and mixed-faith communities during the end-of-year festivities. Officials say the repetition of such programmes at major religious observances underscores an ongoing policy of using social support to foster cohesion.

The current exercise is explicitly framed as inclusive, with the distribution planned for mosques, churches and community centres across the country. By tying the intervention to both Ramadan and Lent, the administration is seeking to project an image of even-handedness in its outreach to Nigeria’s diverse religious population.

Details on the total quantity of rice to be distributed and the specific allocation per state were not immediately disclosed, but organisers insist the programme is national in scope and intended to reach “families across Nigeria” during the fasting period.