MINNA – The Federal Government will concession its three-million-tonne silos under the Public Private Partnership arrangement, to ensure proper management,Hajiya Asabe Ahmed, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, said on Thursday.
Ahmed said this in Minna during a courtesy visit to Gov Babangida Aliyu.
“We are looking forward to concessioning the three-million-tonne capacity of silos we have across the country.’’
Ahmed urged state governments and private investors to utilise the opportunity to partner with the government, to ensure the success of the exercise.
She decried the low level of farmers’ registration in Niger but said that the number had increased from 257,000 to 500,000 farmers.
She said the government and its partners were set to develop structures at the staple crop processing zone at Badeggi but that the project could not commence due to the delay by the Niger Government in the issuance of the Certificate of Occupancy.
Ahmed urged the state government to seize the opportunities provided by the government’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) and Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) to regenerate its agriculture sector.
Responding, Aliyu said that the request for the Certificate of Occupancy had been granted.
“Let me hand over this 248,000-hectare document to you for the staple crop processing zone in the state.’’
Aliyu assured the minister that the state government would do everything possible to ensure the success of ATA and GES in the state. (NAN)
