Harboursandport.com: Lagos --- Kebbi
State government is entered into partnership with a local firm for the
establishment of a world class sugar processing plant worth $330 million.
The
project is expected to be sited in Augie Local Government Area, a border town
between Kebbi State and Sokoto State, the Executive Governor of the State,
Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, has said.
The Executive
Governor of the state disclosed this in Birnin Kebbi when Executive Secretary
of Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Hassan Bello paid a working visit to the
state last week.
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| Sugar processing in progess |
He
governor also said that the state earned about N150 billion from sale of rice
cultivated locally last year.
The
state is also in partner with the NSC to develop an Inland Container Depot and
Vehicle/Truck Transit Park Project to promote agricultural export from the
state.
Bagudu
said the state earned “about N150 billion on sale
of rice last year alone”.
He
said as part of plans designed to shore up the economy of the state, three
giant rice millers, Wocat Rice Processing Mill, Dangote Rice Processing Mill
and Dadangari Rice Processing Mill are working at full capacity.
He assured the management of NSC that any people
oriented projects embarked by them that will ensure trade facilitation and
sustained economic growth will be supported by his administration.
He equally stated that Kebbi State as an agrarian
state has enormous potentials in agriculture coupled with acquatic splendour
which positions the state as part of the Blue Sea Economy.
Senator Bagudu explained that the two projects are
strategic given the enormous agricultural and mineral potentials in the state.
Kebbi State with a population of about 15 million, sharing borders with Niger
and Benin Republics places it on an advantage in terms of trade facilitation
and export of commodities. The state has 7 big rivers with River Niger
traversing all the 3 Senatorial Zones of the state while Argungu River that
houses the International Fishing Festival has become a tourist destination.
According
to Bagudu, Kebbi State is the highest producer of rice, onions and pepper in
the country. This places the state on advantage for the Lolo ICD and
Vehicle/Truck Transit Park to help in the evacuation of farm produce from the
hinterland to the urban areas and for export.
He further
informed the Executive Secretary that the Federal Government grand design to
open the hinterlands so as to achieve sustainable growth will drive Kebbi State
as the agricultural belt of the nation. We have provided enabling environment
to our teeming farmers in the rural areas with farm implements, seedlings and
fertilizer thereby encouraging them for all season farming.
Explaining
further why his administration is desirous to partner with Nigerian Shippers’
Council on the proposed projects, Senator Bagudu revealed that apart from his
being the National Vice-Chairman of Food Security Committee, a nation’s health
and economic growth is measured on food reliance and self sufficiency. A nation
that cannot feed its people will suffer a lot of international market vagaries.
“The Lolo Inland Container Depot will help in galvanizing the evacuation of
farm produce to the urban areas and for export”.
All these
agricultural transformation drive of this administration has encouraged farmers
to not only be active and productive but has to a large extent reduced youth
restlessness as the state is adjudged as the most peaceful state in the
northern geo-political zone . We believe that your twin projects can que into
our model, Bagudu noted.
In his remarks, Bello
informed the Governor that their decision to construct the two projects in the
state after a careful study showed that Kebbi State is strategically located
not only to stimulate the economy of the state but the multiplier effect of its
location is enormous.
“A state sharing
border with two countries deserves an intermodal transportation system that
will help in the evacuation of farm produce, facilitate trade among
neighbouring countries to encourage trade integration.
“Nigeria with
its size and population has a huge market that will surely benefit the
populace. The Nigerian Shippers’ Council boss enumerated that the Inland
Container Deport and Vehicle/Truck Transit Park Projects when completed will
reduce freight costs, grow the economy of the state while opening the
hinterland for entrepreneurs to establish agro-processing industries thereby
boosting the economy of the state and that of the nation,” Bello added.
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