Bauchi Govt sensitises stakeholders on SAPZ project
By Ahmed Ahmed
The Bauchi State Government under the Ministry of Agriculture has sensitized stakeholders in Agriculture on the Proposed Bauchi State Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ), Phase II project for the state.
The state Commissioner of Agriculture, Professor, Simon Madugu Yalams while speaking at the sensitization workshop for the stakeholders weekend in Bauchi, said SAPZ is one of the projects introduced by the African Development Bank (ADB).
He explained that based on the performance of the SAPZ and quality of the proposed project, other banks such as Arab Development Bank, International Bank for Agricultural Development are also funding the project.
Yalams noted that, being a concise project, SAPZ cannot be started without ensuring that the concerned people are fully aware and educated about it.
The Commissioner, represented by the Special Adviser to Governor Bala Mohammed on Agriculture, Iliyasu Aliyu Gital said the purpose of the Workshop was to sensitize the stakeholders.
“Such as farmers, the locations, the communities that are going to benefit to know that the project is coming.
“The Workshop will also give the participants the opportunity to know what is expected of them and their environment, particularly at this time when the project is taking into consideration environmental assessment.
“This is because any project has an environmental impact, therefore, we want to assess, what are the negative impacts the project is going to cause to the environment, and what are the environmental issues that the project will benefit from,” he said.
He added that if there are any problems with the project we will know how to mitigate them”, the Commissioner said.
Yalams further explained that without meeting with the people that are in the communities, the problems would not be known for possible solutions before the project takes off.
“If there is anything that we think will bring problems to the community in future, we will bring it up today so that we can trash it, the community will know that yes as a result of this project so things are going to happen but we have devised a way of mitigating them.
“Our Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed is very forthcoming, is very proactive, he has done his part, he will still continue to do, but what is left for us now and the consultant is to make sure that all the standards that are set are met”, he said.
He said two participants were selected each from across 20 local government areas of the state with Bauchi LG having five slots including the university Community, security and the media as well as government officials.
Earlier, the permanent secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Alhaji Ibrahim Yushau Isa explained that based on the performance of the SAPZ and quality of the proposed project, other banks such as Arab Development Bank, International Bank for Agricultural Development are also funding the project.
He said that the present administration will continue to develop the three farm products including cassava, sesame, soya bean, and rice, cassava, potatoes, sweet potatoes, maize as requested by African Development Bank (AfDB) to expand the state’s economy.
Ibrahim said Governor Mohammed has special interest in the project because of its economic importance which will make Bauchi one of the states that can export food crops to the outside world.
He said “It is one gathering whose aim is targeted at one of the main pillars of the government of Bauchi State-expansion of the economy via the agribusiness value chain.”
“As it has been stated, the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone, which the State is privileged to have been selected as one of the pioneer states, is a government-enabled private sector-led initiative, which the President of African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina described as a critical way to have ‘structural transformation’ in agriculture.