The Yobe State Government has engaged Turkish investors to develop irrigation farming and meat processing in the state to ensure food sufficiency and security and drive economic growth.
Governor Mai Mala Buni, who led a state delegation to Turkey, said it has become necessary to explore and expand irrigation programmes to meet the food needs of the state and export some for revenue.
Mamman Mohammed, DG, Press, and Media Affairs to the Governor, revealed this in a statement, which was made available to LEADERSHIP in Damaturu, Yobe State capital, on Friday.
The governor assured the management of AFKO Pivot Irrigation Systems, saying: “We have the lands, the youthful population for adequate labour, and water resources for large irrigation projects.
“We will deploy resources to make irrigation farming attractive, profitable, and a major source of employment for our youth.
“Government would support individual farmers and cluster farming groups to cultivate food crops like corn, rice, and wheat.
The statement said that government will also facilitate cultivation of cash crops including Sesame seeds and groundnuts among others,” the governor emphasised.
In his response, the General Manager of AFKO, Abdulgani Affura, assured that his company would provide all the required equipment to develop irrigation in the state.
“We are working in 45 countries across the world with a few in Africa, we will manufacture the required equipment that is most suitable to your environment,” he assured.
Similarly, the delegation had discussions with meat processing companies to take advantage of the large deposit of livestock in the state.
“Yobe State is a hub of livestock deposit in Nigeria, we will take advantage of the large deposit to process and export meat to other parts of Nigeria and abroad” Buni said.
“We are committed to processing both ruminants and cattle meats to provide healthy meat locally and internationally,” he added.
Ismail Bagdu, General Manager, Teknotes Tasarim, said the company would provide modern abattoirs with modern equipment for a good package system suitable for exports.
Melik Ceyhun, international manager of CEMSAN, also expressed the commitment of their company to partner the Yobe state government to turn the economy of the state from the available livestock deposits.