Sokoto state government has approved the sum of twelve billion naira for the execution of roads constructions projects, finance agricultural schemes for economic self-reliant and boost food Production.
The approval followed a state executive council meeting presided sover by the state governor Aminu Tambuwal at the state executive council chambers..
Addressing journalists after the council meeting , Sokoto state commissioner for finance, Abdulsamad Dasuki said the two roads construction projects include a twelve kilometres southern bypass dual carriage linking Shuni-Tsehen Masu-Gandun Ardo to Kasarawa area at the cost of four point four billion naira, which is expected to be completed in eighteen months.
He said a total of three point six billion naira has been awarded for the construction of a seven point two kilometres dual carriage road from Welcome to Sokoto gate to Shuni town, which is also expected to be completed in eighteen months.
At a resume sitting of the council presided over by the state Deputy Governor, Muhammad Manir Dan’Iya, the council also approved the sum of four billion naira for agricultural development programme.
The state commissioner for Animal Health and Fisheries development who is overseeing the state ministry for Agriculture, Professor Abdulkadir Junaid, said the four billion naira is a Central Bank of Nigeria commercial agricultural credit scheme and loan facility through a commercial bank.
The Commissioner said a total of sixteen thousand eight hundred and seventy six farmers are expected to benefit from the scheme.
.Mr. Junaid said the programme will cover rice, wheat and Tomatoes farmers and will be supervised by the state advisory committee and approved consultants.
He said fifteen thousand, nine hundred and fifty four rural farmers with seven hundred and thirty two medium scale farmers as well as one hundred and eighty large scale farmers across the twenty three local government areas of the state are expected to benefit from the scheme.
Professor Junaid said in line with the guidelines of the facility, five key areas were drawn to work simultaneously in achieving the objective of the scheme.
He said based on quantitative analysis, approval was given to purchase over forty five thousand litres of herbicide, and over forty two thousand litres of insecticides with two thousand six hundred and ten units of sprayers valued at over three hundred and sixty million naira.
Over ninety five thousands fifty kilogramme bags of assorted fertilizers of NPK and UREA worth over a billion naira and assorted seedlings of rice, wheat and Tomatoes worth over three hundred million naira part of the scheme.
According to him, Over four hundred and ninety five million naira will be expended on the supply and processing machineries, which comprises, water pumping machines, rice and wheat threshing machines, tomatoes pasting machines, among others.
