The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has said the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) has committed about $55.5m to the development of Special Agro-Processing Zones ( SAPZ) in the territory.
FCT Secretary for Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Mallam Abubakar Ibrahim made this known while briefing journalists on Wednesday in Abuja.
He also announced the administration’s 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.
Adding 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.
The Mandate Secretary, warned local butchers in the nation’s capital, particularly in its abattoirs who often use scrap tyres as substitute for firewood to singe or de-hair slaughtered ruminants to stop the unhygienic practice.
According to Ibrahim; “I am happy to note that the Boards of the AfDB, IFAD and the ISDB, have all approved the Nigeria SAPZ Project on the 13th, 16th and 18th December, 2021, respectively. In the first phase, the ISDB is investing a minimum of Fifty-Five Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand US Dollars ($55.47m) in the FCT SAPZ. We are committed to making this a resounding success and shall provide the needed counterpart contribution to complement this investment.
“It is true that if we are to make progress in Agriculture, we have to go into mechanized farming and we have already given a directive to the Director, Administration and Finance that 12 tractors should be out in the 2022 budget. At least, each of the six Area Councils will have two tractors in 2022.
“The issue of FCT abattoirs has become an embarrassment to the administration and as a sign of my commitment and determination to address this issue, the first two projects I visited were Kugbo and Karu Abattoirs.
“We want to ensure that we do the needful by first ensuring that water is provided in the abattoirs round the clock because when we visited the Kugbo Abattoir, we found out there was a water challenge and which my predecessor did a lot in that regards.
“We want to ensure that the wastes are managed well. The fist approval I have was on waste evacuation.
“We want to make sure that the issue of use of tyres to skin animals is stopped. I went there and handed down the warning personally and we are working on a sustainable method for them to use. Efforts have been put in place in that direction.
“Another area we are looking at is animal husbandry and veterinary services so that we can have proper inspection of the meat,” he stated.
On post harvest losses, he said the secretariat has continued to sensitize farmers and extension workers on modern storage methods.
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