Niger State Government has, over the weekend, commenced the fast-tracking of the cultivation of about 4.5 million hectares of arable land for Agricultural purposes as well as for food security across the Shitoro-Lamkpa axis of Shiroro Local government area of the state.
Speaking during the assessment tour of the arable land in about 12 communities in the local government area on Saturday, the State’s Deputy Governor, Comrade Yakubu Garba, disclosed that his principal, Governor Muhammed Umaru Bago, would soon put in place measures aimed at cultivating over 4.5 million hectares of land in the state within the next 8 years.
The State Deputy Governor, accompanied by the State Commissioner of Lands, Maurice Magaji, and other top government functionaries from the State and Local Government, expressed satisfaction with the expanse of land within the Shiroro-Lamkpa axis, while on the tour of the communities within the axis.
Comrade Yakubu Garba seized the opportunity of the assessment tour of the communities in the council area to call on the rural populace and community leaders to cooperate with government and key into the “New Niger Agenda”, saying that “Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago- led administration in the state intends to procure some earth moving equipment which includes Caterpillar, Bulldozers, Pale loaders graders on a long lease to prepare land for cultivation of about 4.5 million hectares of cultivable land in the next 8 years”.
Responding, the Village Head of Pina and Dagacin Gussoro commended the foresight of the incumbent Governor Muhammad Umar Bago-led government and assured the Deputy Governor of their total support for the vision and transformative New Niger agenda in Agriculture, noting that the initiative is laudable and commendable.
The Deputy Governor, during the tour, assessed Shakwata, Tachipi, Agogoyi, Pina, Tawo, Pmawyi, Kuta, Gussoro, Zumba, and Gwada communities of Shiroro LGA and rounded it up at Gadan Yan Biyu community of the council area.
Comrade Yakubu Garba’s assessment tour to the aforementioned communities is believed to be in tandem with the state government’s discussion with Almarai, a Saudi Arabia multinational dairy company for the production of Alfalfa plant in the state, discovered to be of an economic value, highlighting that the protein content of the plant will be studied with a view to improving the seedlings for planting.
Comrade Yakubu Garba stated further that Niger Foods Limited will achieve the desired result towards maximizing opportunity of harnessing agricultural potential in sugarcane plantation, with an estimated output of 50,000 tons of sugar annually and production of methanol, with 40,000 tons of animal feeds, pointing out that the body of rivers within the axis can generate 11mgwt of electricity, adding that the Shiroro-Lamkpa axis alone is capable of generating no fewer than about 4,767 job opportunities.
