By Stanley Onyekwere
In its bid to ensure rapid development of agricultural value chains, Niger state government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Dangote Group worth 450 million US Dollars for sugarcane and rice production in the state.
This, the government said was in furtherance to ongoing efforts at accelerating agricultural growth and sustained socio-economic development of the state.
Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, made this disclosure while delivering an address during the Special Niger Day, held on the sidelines of the just concluded10th National Agric Show, in Karu, Nasarawa State.
Bello said his administration it had created a favourable environment for profitable investments by private sector in all aspects of the agricultural value chain in the state.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Ibrahim Ladan, he revealed that the administration is leveraging on the state’s comparative advantages of abundant arable land, water and human resources to achieve the objective.
According to him; “at the moment, the state has signed MOU worth 450 million US Dollars with the Dangote Group (not Sanford as erroneously quoted by this national daily) for sugarcane and rice production.
“ Other investors like Golden Flour, Agorcraft, PJS groups to mention a few are already in the state investing in various integrated agricultural projects while negotiations are ongoing with several others in the same direction.
“Our administration is ready and prepared to cooperate with the federal government in the implementation of the agricultural reform Agenda for sustainable development of the country.
“We are also conscious of the fact that this cannot be achieved without the much desired partnership with the private sector.”
He therefore urged serious minded agricultural entrepreneurs and investors willing to invest in the state to do s, as the state’s doors remain open to accommodate such investments for mutual benefits.
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