Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi has lauded the federal government’s agriculture transformation programme designed to reduce poverty, enhance wealth creation and food security in the country.

Mr Mohammed said this at the public presentation of the 20,000 hectares irrigation project by Techgen Agro Consultant Ltd., on Saturday in Bauchi.

He said the federal government had initiated viable interventions through the Central Bank of Nigeria, to enhance farmer access to financing, inputs, encourage enterprising skills and value addition to achieve self sufficiency in food production.

The governor said the state government had adopted proactive measures to ensure effective utilisation of N16 billion accessed by Techgen Agro Consultant Ltd. under the CBN’s Accelerating Agriculture Development Scheme (AADS).

He said the state government had allocated 20,000 hectares of land to the company to accelerate rice, wheat and maize cultivation in the state.

“We, as an opposition state, want to compliment President Muhammadu Buhari because we believe he means well. He has done so much through the CBN,” he said.

According to him, the government plans to create over 18,000 jobs through irrigation activities under the AADS scheme in the state.

Mr Mohammed said his administration would also assist community leaders to access funds under CBN’s agriculture intervention, to further contribute to the sustainable development of the state.

“Why do we have to relegate our emirs and district heads behind when the land is in their hands in trust through the government.

“They should be able to be assisted to farm. They should be able to derive knowledge from consultants,” he said. 

(NAN)