By Stephen Ojo
The Governor of Niger State, Mohammed Umaru Bago has key into a deal that will provide opportunity for the Niger State farmers to harness about 90,000 Hectares on the shoulder of the recently flagged-off Sokoto-Badagry Super highway to produce 2.5 million metric tonnes of Sugar, 250 million litres of Ethanol, and generate 300 MW of Electricity.
The deal according to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor Bologi Ibrahim is part of the collaborative project with the Nigeria Suger Development Council in partnership with a foreign consortium, Uttham Sucrotech.
He added that the deal will also create 100,000 direct jobs, and 250,000 indirect jobs aside from the projected 750,000 out grower Participants.
He said that the deal with Uttham Sucrotech is to develop 250,000 Hectares of Sugarcane fields and 6 Sugar/Ethanol plants in the State over the next 3 years.
“The agreement which was sealed during a side-event of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is a bold step towards reviving the $2.5B Nigeria Sugar Industry, to promote rural Industrialisation and to achieve the food security agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu”.
Speaking at the event, Farmer Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, appreciated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the unprecedented initiatives for the socio-economic development of Nigeria, including Sokoto-Badagry the Superhighway.
He explained that, part of the component of the Superhighways that pass through Niger State will open thousands of Hectares of Arable land which will be part of the field to be used in the Sugar project.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, commended the Farmer Governor, for his private sector approach to the development of Agriculture, adding that, “the creation of Niger Foods including its decision to partner with the world’s renowned and leading Sugar producers is quite laudable”.
The Minister of Agriculture, Abba Kyari in his remarks, said the development of the Sugar value chain will give birth to a vibrant livestock industry in Niger State including mixed cropping of sugar with Soyabean.(www.krestnews.com).