Kaduna Govt concessions agric storage infrastructure, targets $122m investment
Kaduna State Government on Friday signed an agreement with StarAgri West Africa Ltd for the concession of the its Strategic Agricultural Storage Infrastructure.
The government said that the move was part of the administration’s efforts to revamp the agricultural sector.
The Secretary to the Kaduna State Government, Dr. Abdulkadir Mayere signed on behalf of the government, while Ms. Sandy Eyal signed on behalf of the company, with Malam Muhammad Rili endorsing the agreement on behalf of the Kaduna State Agricultural Development Agency (KADA).
“The purpose of the agreement is for the establishment of the Kaduna Agri – Market System Initiative with an investment of $122 Million within the period of concession.
“The investment would be used to refurbish existing state-owned warehouses, build new warehouses, silos, hubs, and export centers that will create a total storage capacity exceeding 3 million Metric Tonnes in Kaduna State.
“The signing ceremony marks a pivotal moment in our journey towards agricultural prosperity and sustainable economic growth in Kaduna State.
“This initiative signals the beginning of the creation of joint agricultural and export hubs, revolutionizing the connectivity between warehouses and farming communities, while ushering in innovative financing mechanisms through warehouse receipt systems,” the state governor, Uba Sani, said in a statement.
According to him, the $122 million investment will not only catalyse economic development but also generate over 2,500 direct employment opportunities for warehouse staffing and support for over 1,000,000 farmers and extension services personnel.
“Additionally, it will create many indirect job opportunities across the agricultural value chains.
“This partnership signifies a shared vision for transformative change in our agricultural landscape, promising sustainable growth and prosperity for all involved stakeholders, particularly our smallholder farmers,” he added.
The governor urged KADA, StarAgri West Africa Ltd, Ministry of Agriculture and other key stakeholders to cooperate in ensuring the successful implementation of the project.
