The Executive Secretary of Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), Prince Paul Ikonne has said that the Authority would be establishing fish ponds in Abia and Borno States.
Ikonne disclosed this while signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Abia State Government presided over by the governor of the state, Okezie Ikpeazu at the State’s Government House in Umuahia.
The Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu and the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer, NALDA, Prince Paul Ikonne, signed the MoU at the Abia State Government House, Umuahia.
Ikonne said the fish ponds were being established by the Authority under its Women in Fishery Programme, adding that 50 of the ponds were being constructed in the Fish Village in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State.
For Borno State, Ikonne said the ponds were being established in 50 different locations, while about 50 ponds in 10 locations in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, would be inaugurated in October this year.
He said, “The 50 fish ponds in Ikwuano here in Abia State is a programme meant for women and it is called Women in Fishery. This project is to encourage women to go into fish production.
“That project, as it is going on in Ikwuano, is also going on in Maiduguri, Borno State. It is going on in 50 locations in Borno to take in women into the value chain of fish production, from hatchery to growing, processing and packaging.”
The NALDA boss added, “Again, NALDA’s mandate is to make sure we achieve food security and not only for our consumption but for export in order to earn foreign currency.
“The ponds in Abia State are in one location, but 50 in 50 locations in Maiduguri, Borno State. This is because the governor of Borno has provided the land and all is set.
“As we speak, 50 ponds in 10 locations are going on and we expect that it will be inaugurated by October.”
Ikonne explained that the facility in Ikwuano in Abia was being established as a fish village.
He said, “It will have the hatchery, rearing, processing and packaging points, as well as the crop area where we will grow maize and others in order to produce feeds for the fish.
“But the one in the North is the entire value chain that has residential areas and others and this is basically because of the size and landmass that is made available.”
He enjoined women in the locations where the facilities were being established to take advantage of the ponds to not only support their families but also grow their local economies.
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