FG Expends N9 Billions For 3 Major Plans For Agriculture In South-East

Federal Government delegation has unveiled plans on Agricultural
layout aimed to boost the economy through agriculture in the south-east
region of the country.
The delegations disclosed that a total of
N9 billion was expended by FG to encourage farmers, foster food security
and employment of women and youths. In the report obtained by our
correspondent, the delegates believe there are opportunities that can be
tapped from in the south-east region and that include: the oil palm
revolution, the cocoa enhancement, rice, among many others.


Speaking
at the conference, the Chief Executive Officer of the Bank of
Agriculture, Kabir Mohammed, noted that there are projects that are
directed at improving the employment rate in the country. In his open
statement, Mr Mohammed said:

“I want to say that what we intend to do is to make sure that we support the rural women because that is one of our mandates.

“You must know that there are a lot of women in the rural area
that are involved in agriculture in the south- east zone and presently,
our intention is to make sure that our activities are extended to them.

“I want to say that we are looking at youth unemployment which is
a global phenomenon and we are committed and have projects targeted at
improving employment rate in Nigeria. We want to use agriculture to get
the youths engaged thereby reducing youth restiveness drastically.

The
Executive Director, Partnership and Strategy, Dr Gabriel Okenwa
affirmed to the development when he said that  Federal Government’s
strategic focus on the agriculture sector is geared towards producing
more food for the citizens and a lot more for export.
Dr Okenwa is optimistic that Nigeria will soon celebrate a bounty harvest.

“I
must say that Nigerians are very hard-working and resilient people and
with the strategic re-focus in Agriculture now, all hands should be on
deck – We will produce enough food for the people and have more for
export, and I must say that the Federal Government is doing a lot in
Agriculture.”

Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of
Water Resources says it has begun the implementation of the National
Roadmap toward increasing the Nigeria’s irrigated agriculture from
100,000 to 130, 000 hectares by 2020.Speaking to newsmen in Abuja
on Monday, May 8, the Minister, Mr Suleiman Adamu, said the formulation
of the roadmap meant to run for 15 years, will be implemented with a
deliberate focus on completing major abandoned projects by the previous
administration.


Speaking
to newsmen in Abuja on Monday, May 8, the Minister, Mr Suleiman Adamu,
said the formulation of the roadmap meant to run for 15 years, will be
implemented with a deliberate focus on completing major abandoned
projects by the previous administration.
According to Mr Adamu,
 the ministry had carried out studies where irrigation facilities could
be provided with results expected by the end of 2017. He cited the Benue
Basin, Dongai-Suntai and the Nasarawa areas as possible locations for
such facilities, adding that the target was to ensure that by 2030,
Nigeria would have been practising over 500, 000 hectares of irrigated
farming.