News Release- WFP distributes milling machines to improve the lives of 5,000 displaced families in Borno State

The Milling Machines are improving the lives of families in Borno State

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and its partners have commenced the distribution of 766 milling machines to 5,000 displaced families in Northeast Nigeria to ease the problems they face in processing grains.


The families in need are receiving the milling machines in 12 communities in selected local government areas of Borno State, such as Bama, Damboa, Dikwa, Gwoza, Jere, Mafa, Monguno and Konduga.

Demonstrating the working of the milling machine to a recipient in Jere LGA, Borno State

By processing grains such as sorghum and millet for others as well as for their own food needs, the families will also generate some income to maintain the milling machines, each of which comes with a toolbox.

The milling machines also save time and energy for the users, especially for vulnerable women and girls who face a lot of difficulties in accessing milling services in the conflict-affected communities in the state.

Distribution of the machines is focused on the most vulnerable groups in the state, especially women and girls, to reduce the problems they face in manual milling of their food grains. The women and girls, who are mostly responsible for food preparation, also receiving training in the management of the machines.

Many families receiving food from WFP prefer to get milled sorghum or millet instead of the whole grains that take time to grind through traditional methods.  Some sell part of their food to access milling services in the camps or host communities. The milling machines will now solve these problems for the families.

“We recognized that some families were selling part of the food assistance they received to pay for milling services, or spending so much time and energy to mill the grains using traditional methods. With these machines, they will now be able to save time and energy;conserve food, and also generate some money to maintain the machines,” says Myrta Kaulard, WFP Country Director in Nigeria.

Mothers receiving milling machines from World Food Programme staffer in Borno State

WFP cooperating partners, such as Christian AID, Danish Refugees Council, CARE, International Medical Corps, INTERSOS, train the recipients on record keeping, financial management and maintenance of machines.

The milling machines initiative was made possible by the generous contributions to WFP’s food assistance activities in northeast Nigeria this year by Canada, European Commission (ECHO), Finland, Switzerland, the United Kingdom (DFID), the United States (USAID), and private donors.


From January to October 2018, WFP provided food or cash assistance to an average of 1.1 million people every monthaffected by the conflict in northeast Nigeria. However, WFP requires sustained funding to provide emergency food assistance, prevent malnutrition in young children and pregnant or breastfeeding women, support livelihoods and retain the flexibility to respond to further populationdisplacement.


For more information, please contact:

• Adedeji Ademigbuji, WFP/Maiduguri
Adedeji.ademigbuji@wfp.org, Mob: +234 (0)813 107 5667
• Kelechi Onyemaobi, WFP/Abuja
Kelechi.onyemaobi@wfp.org, Mob: +234 (0)902 486 7649

• On Twitter: @WFP_Nigeria