Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has reiterated the commitment of his administration to continue to encourage and promote Private Public Partnership (PPP) and investments in agriculture, through the provision of enabling environment.
Engineer Sule stated this during the official commissioning of a dam and electricity project, executed by the Nigeria Farmers’ Group and Cooperative Society (NFGCS), in Ga’ate, Kokona Local Government Area, on Saturday.
According to the Governor, his administration will continue to evolve policies and entrench collaborative approach to woo development partners to the state, in order to engender an macroeconomic society, through mechanized agriculture and agroallied industries.
Governor Sule added that government will continue to collaborate with development partners, particularly in the area of capacity building for youths in the state under the Youths Agricultural Empowerment Programme.
He stated further that his administration will continue to train youths in skills acquisition where they will be provided with starter packs to engage in agricultural activities for self reliance.
While commending the private sector-community partnership as demonstrated by the NFGCS, the Governor assured the management of the farm that, with the 330KVA Akurba power substation at 98 percent completion, power supply will no longer be a problem in the area.
The governor expressed readiness to collaborate further with the farm, particularly in the area of youth training since the NFGCS made known its intention to establish a skills acquisition training centre for youths in the State.
Earlier, in an opening remarks, National Coordinator, NFGCS, Mr. Retson Tedheke, disclosed that the farm has embarked upon and completed the electricity project linking the Ga’ate Community to the national grid, stressing that the firm installed 100KVA and 500KVA transformers for Ga’ate Community and the NFGCS integrated farms respectively.
Tedheke disclosed that presently the farm produces 3 to 5 trailer loads of Ga’ate Gold rice sold across the country.
He further announced an audacious plan by the farm to establish a skills acquisition training centre for youths in the State, with 50 youths each to benefit from across the 13 local government areas.
The national coordinator equally noted that 10, 000 farmers have also been empowered with resources for farming and off-taking of produce.
He however appealed to the state government to assist the farm in the areas of standing as guarantor for funding opportunities, as well as provision of infrastructure such as road and ensuring security at the facility.
