By Aideloje Ojo
Minna
Niger State Governor, farmer Mohammed Umaru Bago has expressed enthusiasm over the selection of the state for the pilot project on Livestock development involving the federal government and a Brazilian firm explaining that it will open more doors for the development of the state.
The farmer Governor stated this when he received in audience a team of the Brazilian protein company on a fact finding mission of some livestock facilities in Minna, the State capital.
The team was led by the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Hajiya Aisha Rimi.
He said, ” the State government is indeed excited with the project as its value chain cannot be overemphasised. It cuts across crop production,and animal husbandry among others”
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Accordind to him, “it is heartwarming, having the world’s largest protein company, with a huge turnover, visit the State for investment”.
He expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for making Niger State a pilot state for such a beneficial project.
In a remark, the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Hajiya Aisha Rimi, described Niger state as food capital of the nation, adding that, “Niger state is an important state to consider for such project”.
She said that there is huge deficit in terms of cattle, swine, poultry and food generally in the country, adding that, “the project would transform the livestock industry and guarantee food security not only in Nigeria but Africa as a continent”.
Some facilities inspected were the Zaima Farms, Dogarawa Farms, Tagwai Dam and Niger Foods Farm in Tagwai where the managers of the facilities conducted the team round various sections of the farms.
While Zaima is an all encompassing livestock farm, producing an average of about 300 crates of eggs at full capacity, Dogarawa is more on cattle fattening, milking, and yoghourt production with about 175 cattle, producing over 300 litres of milk daily.
