… lslamic bank injects $55.5m into FCT agric sector
By Joyce Remi- Babayeju
As a way of guaranting food security in the territory, Secretary of the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Mallam Abubakar has said there are plans to distribute fertilizers , improved seedlings , agro- chemicals to Farmers.
Abubakar said that this is in line with the Agricultural Promotion Programme with the mandate to guarantee food security and tackle poverty.
According to him, the FCT agricultural blue print is among other things is ” promoting agricultural potentials of the F T in order to attract genuine investors across all value chains , establishment of demonstration farms in each of the 6 Area Councils of the FCT.
” Ensuring the timely provision of essential agricultural inputs at affordable rates to Farmers.”
“Enhancing agricultural mechanism by providing modern appropriate mechineries and equipment to boost agricultural production and crop processing.”
He also announced that there are plans to engage the Agro Rangers Squad of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC to help provide security for farmers in the territory against threats posed by bandits fleeing into its fringes from its contiguous states.
Meanwhile the Islamic Devt Bank has committed the sum of $55.5m to the development of Abuja’s Agro-Processing of Special Agro-Processing Zones SAPZ Project for livestock subsector in the territory.
He further noted that provision has been made in the 2022 budget for the procurement of 12 tractors for the six Area Councils in the territory to boost farming and ensure food security in the wake of constant influx of other Nigerians into the territory.
