Minister lauds efforts to improve food value chain in Lake Chad basin

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Sabo Nanono has lauded the Recovery and Livelihood Programme proposed by the Kare Hi-Tech Engineering Ltd on Irrigation in Lake Chad Basin, stating that the Programme and other laudable Programmes of government will lift Nigerians out of poverty.

Nanono stated this when he received a delegation led by the Vice-Chairman of the Kare Hi-Tech Group, Alhaji Abba Gana in his office, today.

He said the project will provide part of the answers of ‘’ what the Ministry can do to make an impact in the Lake Chad Basin region especially in the cultivation of the food value chain’’

Nanono also disclosed that the North East region bordering the Lake Chad Basin was a strategic and import agricultural producing area which forms the hub of trading activities that spans to Chad, Sudan, Cameroun, Central African Republic, Libya and also connecting other African Countries.

He explained that other development partners could buy into the project in order to make it a model for job and wealth creation.

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Speaking in the same vein, the Minister of State in the Ministry, Hon. Mustapha Baba Shehuri commended the group for the North-East region have been in dare need of development following the deviating effect of insurgency.

According to him, coming from that part of the region of the country, he was very conversant with the problems on the ground and believed that part solution was to provide the people with a source of livelihood.

In his presentation of the project proposal to the minister, the Managing Director of Kare Hi-Tech, Engineering Ltd, Mr Bala Mandara explained that the Programme which is a Public-Private Partnership with other development partners including Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), seeking government’s partnership at addressing some of the challenges facing the North –East particularly the Lake Chad Basin and Borno State.

He identified some of the major activities proposed in the Programme to include: the irrigation for the cultivation of Rice, Sorghum and Vegetables, Ruminant animal breeding, fish farming, cotton, groundnut and soybeans. Others include value addition and processing as well as training and Extension services.

Bala further disclosed that the Programme will provide an integrated solution to the Hydro- Headed challenges facing the North-East with relevance to United Nations Humanitarian Development Nexus.