By Terna Chikpa, Jalingo
The Taraba State Government has entered into a partnership with the African Development Bank to the tune of N100 billion to boost agricultural production and enhance food security in the state.
Team leader of the African Development Bank and agricultural consortium group, Mr Shuaibu Bello, disclosed this during an assessment tour of the project areas in Lau and Karim Lamido Local Government Areas of the state as part of efforts to galvanised stakeholders’ support for take off-of the project.
Addressing stakeholders in Lau and Karim Lamido Local Government Areas, Bello said the consortium group is made up of reputable companies from China, India South Africa, and others who are going to cultivate 1000 hectares of land in Lau, Karim Lamido, Wukari, and Sardauna Local government areas as well as construct bridges and empower farmers to improve yields.
He explained that their visit to the state was part of the fulfillment by the African development bank for Taraba State to obtain a loan of over N100 billion to execute the programme under the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone Project.
According to him, Lau and Karim Lamido Local Government Areas can feed the nation which would no doubt boost the revenue of the State.
“I want to thank Governor Agbu Kefas and the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Prof. Nicholas Namessan for their push and support which has enabled us to commence the project in good time.
“The African Development Bank is playing a positive role in catalysing agriculture in Africa into an internationally competitive sector and an important contributor to sustainable development.
“At the core of this transformation, the Bank is working with governments and the private sector in 11 African countries to create Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) that will turn the rural landscape into economic zones of prosperity and harnessing the power of commercial agriculture and food production.
“Aside from boosting food production and empowering rural communities of Taraba State, the project when completed would create over 2,000 job opportunities for youths and women in the State,” he said.
Earlier, Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Professor Nicholas Namessan welcomed the establishment of Agro-processing zones (SAPZ) in the three senatorial zones of the State, adding that the project would benefit farmers and the state in general.
Namessan added that the initiative was aimed at boosting the State’s economy, scaling up development, and creating employment opportunities for over 2000 unemployed youths.
Our correspondent reports that 11 States have so far benefited from the African Development Bank Agro-Processing project, while Taraba State has been picked to benefit from the second phase.
