- Says 60,000 metric tons of grain now in strategic reserve
- As Nigeria expects $600m from hibiscus flower export
By Egena Sunday Ode
No fewer than 3.6 million indirect jobs have been created from $2.4billion worth of externally funded agricultural projects being implemented by the present administration.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Agriculture, Mohammed Abubakar, on Thursday while appearing on the Ministerial Media Briefing organized by the Presidential Communications Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to him, $538 million was approved for special agricultural processing zones to support inclusive and sustainable agricultural development in Nigeria.
The minister also noted that another project worth $575 million is being implemented to improve rural access and agricultural marketing in participating states while strengthening the financing institutional base for effective development, maintenance and management of rural roads network.
The participating states, he said, included Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Kano, Katsina, Kogi, Kwara, Kebbi, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Plateau and Sokoto.
Abubakar noted that government is also implementing the Value Chain Development Programme
Additional Financing (VCDP-AF) 2020- 2024 to enhance, on a sustainable basis, incomes and food security of poor rural households engaged in the production, processing and marketing of rice and cassava.
He revealed that the project is currently being implemented in nine states including Niger, Benue, Ogun, Ebonyi, Taraba and Anambra, Nasarawa, Kogi and Enugu “to scale up the achievement recorded in the original VCDP states.”
He said Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes Project (ACReSAL), a $700 million project, is being implemented by three ministries; Environment, Agriculture, and Water Resources with the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) being the beneficiaries.
“The project objective is to mitigate and build the resilience of Nigerian farmers to climate change. The project duration is six years -2022 to 2028. Over One million degraded land will be restored within the 6 years project cycle,” he stated.
Another project being funded externally is Climate Change Adaptation and Agro-business Support Project (CASP), which the Minister explained is to increase incomes, enhance food security and reduce vulnerability for smallholder farmers particularly women and youths in the participating States Katsina, Jigawa, Yobe, Borno, Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara.
The cost of the project is $87 million and was designed for 2015 – 2021 but extended to March, 2022.
The World Bank/Federal Government of Nigeria Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) is being implemented at the cost of $500 million, he said.
The Minister explained that it is an initiative, which adopts a Community Driven Development (CDD) approach targeted at promoting smallholder resilience and commercialization by facilitating linkages and private sector investment in selected value-chains in the Livestock sub-sector.
He revealed that National Strategic Food Reserve has been beefed up to ensure food security, saying that there is currently a National Food Stock balance of 60,000 metric tons of assorted food commodities after the releases made for COVID-19 palliative.
The Minister also explained that about $35million annually is being expected from the Mexican government from export of hibiscus flower used in zobo production.
He said under Rural Infrastructure Development, the ministry constructed 765.36 Km of Asphalt roads and 7.75km of Earth Roads, leading to 22,961 direct jobs and 765,360 indirect Jobs being created.
According to Abubukar, government also provided 635 units of Motorized/ Solar powered boreholes and 25 Nos Hand pump, leading to 13,585 direct jobs and 96,750 indirect jobs being created, provided 15 Nos Water treatment plants leading to 315 direct jobs and 2,250 indirect jobs being created.
He adds: “It installed 17,099 units of all-in-one Solar Streetlight, leading to 7,980 direct jobs and 113,993 indirect jobs being created; constructed 15Nos Block of 3 Classroom with 480 direct jobs being created, Constructed/rehabilitated Town Halls, School Clinic, School perimeter fencing, School Dining Hall, ICT centres, installed 6 Nos electricity transformers.”
