FG moves to establish $390m agro industrial town

By Gabriel Ewepu

Federal Government has concluded plans to establish an Agro Industrial Town, AIT, at Alape Staple Crop Processing Zone, SCPZ , Kogi State.

This was disclosed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agric, Mrs Ibukun Odusote, who was represented by Director, Special Duties, Mr Chidi Uwandu,  at a presentation of Technical Report on Development of Agro Industrial Town, AIT.
Odusote said in her address that the AIT will be a new agro concept that will revolutionise the practice of agriculture in Nigeria. She also said the essence of the presentation of the report on the project was to create opportunity for observations and comments that may be included in the design before the final draft will be ready in few weeks.

According to the consultant of the project, LR Group Worldwide Nigeria limited, $390 million will be spent for the completion of the Agro Township.

While presenting the report, senior consultant, LR Limited, Mr Zui Herman, said the agro city will provide over 6000 jobs for youth in Kogi State, and also with N1.2 million annual income.

According to Herman, the 15,000 hectare earmarked for the development will comprise clusters of agricultural production land and rural complex of 10 family villages, base on 120 families per each village.

Also it will include social facilities at the village level such as shops and infant schooling which would have house-stead of 2,500 square meters and would require a total of 1,954,940 million metric tonnes of water annually if the place was fully integrated.

He said the aim of the project is to enhance sustainable integrated economic agriculture and rural chain development while creating general employment opportunity in the rural Nigeria among others.

Earlier in his remarks, Kogi State commissioner of Agriculture, Mr Zacchaeus  Atte, said the state government was doing all within its ability to ensure that the Federal Government’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda, ATA, was successful in the State, and promised the State’s support for the project.
 

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