Sokoto Procures N1.7bn Fertilisers, Water Pumps

•  As Foundation trains women on stoves in FCT

Mohammed Aminu in Sokoto and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

Sokoto state government is to purchase 9,000 metric tonnes of fertilisers and 16,000 water pumps worth about N 1.7 billion.

The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Alhaji Umaru Nagwari, made this known to newsmen shortly after the state executive council meeting in Sokoto recently.

According to him, the assorted fertilisers and water pumps would be distributed to both dry and rainy season farmers across the 23 local government areas of the state.

Nagwari said the fertilisers, which comprised Urea and NPK brands, would be bought at the cost of N8,000 per bag and would be sold to the farmers at 75 per cent subsidy. He explained that the state government would also subsidise the water pumps so as to enable the farmers to produce more food for the state.

The commissioner stated that the Council had approved the purchase of Faro rice seeds worth about N392 million for distribution free to the farmers. He disclosed that the state government had since conducted a comprehensive census of all genuine farmers across the state.

“The conduct of the census is part of the measures put in place by the state government to ensure that only genuine farmers get the commodities. This is in a bid to make a difference from the previous system where there were complaints in the distribution of the commodities,” he stated.

He reaffirmed the commitment of the present administration towards ensuring that all the genuine farmers get the commodities on time and devoid of any political party, ethnic or religious differences.

He added that the Council also endorsed the planned establishment of a tomato processing company and tractors assembling company in collaboration with Erisco Foods limited.

Meanwhile, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Foundation for Economic Empowerment and Educational Development (FEED) has trained women in Chukuku community in Kuje Area Council, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the production of energy saving cooking stoves.

The initiative was in line with FEED’s mandate, which focuses on community service, self enhancement, education and societal development,
Speaking at a two-day training where the women produced energy-saving stoves using local materials at their disposal, the Executive Director of the Foundation, Mr. Kelvins Dzeremo said felling down of trees for the purpose of cooking was a major source of deforestation in the country.

Dzeremo said, aside contributing immensely to the problem of deforestation, it was also a major cause of climate change in the community and beyond. He stated that the low-energy stoves would require a little percentage of fire wood as compared to cooking over open fire, which is very common in the community.

Speaking, one of the participants, Mrs. Maimuna Zuberu thanked the foundation for showing concern to the plight of women in her community, while assuring them that they would put the knowledge acquired in the training to use.
“We would not only engage in production of these energy-saving cooking stoves for usage but we will also produce for commercial purpose to empower ourselves financially,” she stated.