The FCT Administration (FCTA) has said that it is targeting not less than 50,000 direct and indirect jobs from its five-year Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) project.
The FCT Minister of State, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, who disclosed at the flag off of the distribution of agricultural inputs to the FCT SAPZ beneficiaries, said the project was aimed at transforming the agricultural landscape of the nation’s capital.
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Dr Mariya, who identified food as the most essential need for human survival, noted that agriculture played a vital role in meeting human needs.
Represented by the FCTA Mandate Secretary for Agriculture and Rural Development, Lawan Kolo Geidam, the minister said that agriculture remained the backbone of the economy, providing livelihoods for millions of people and ensuring food security for the nation.
She, however, observed that farmers and agro-industrial entrepreneurs faced numerous and complex challenges ranging from climate change, poor agricultural practices to access to market, stressing that the challenges required innovative solutions and collaborative efforts.
She said, “It is for these reasons that the FCT Administration has fully embraced the SAPZ project, an initiative that is in tune with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda, predicated on injecting the muchneeded manpower, resources and investments to reinvigorate the agricultural sector for sustainable development.
“We are optimistic that the agricultural inputs being distributed today, comprising bull calves, animal feeds, crop seeds, fertilisers and crop protection chemicals and equipment, will serve as a vital catalyst for building a more resilient and sustainable agricultural sector.”
The mandate secretary, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs Grace Adayilo, stated that two years into the project, the administration had made significant strides not only in an operational hub at the Paikon-Kore Grazing Reserve in Gwagwalada, but also see substantial impacts with the construction of value addition projects.
Daily Trust
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