The Nasarawa State Government has approved the sum of N400 million for the purchase of 3,600 tonnes of fertiliser for farmers in the state.
Alhaji Tijjani Ahmed, the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, disclosed this at a press briefing in Lafia on ThyThurs on Thursday following Wednesday’s State Executive Council meeting.
Ahmed said that two companies were awarded the contract to supply 60 trucks each of Urea and NPK fertiliser totalling 72,000 bags at N5,000 per bag.
He said that the state government decided to purchase additional fertiliser to supplement the Federal Government’s Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) due to the inadequacy of the allocation.
The commissioner noted that of the 29 redemption centres earmarked for the Federal Government’s GES, only 20 had fertilisers, adding that many farmers were not conversant with the new system.
He said that the state government would contribute N407 million to the GES.
Ahmed explained that the state government had directed that the fertiliser should be sold to farmers at N2,500 per bag, representing 50 per cent subsidy.
He said that each electoral ward in the state had been allocated 400 bags of fertiliser to ensure that it got to all parts of the state.
In order to check the diversion of the product, Ahmed said that the state government had set up a committee at the ward levels.
The committee, he said, would work in collaboration with security operatives, members of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) and personnel from the Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) in the state. Nasarawa State awards N1.21bn contracts for road construction in Lafia, Akwanga.
Meanwhile the State Government has awarded contracts valued at N1.21 billion for the construction of 17 km urban roads in Lafia and Akwanga.
The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mrs Victoria Monde, gave the information at a news conference in Lafia on Thursday.
Monde said a total of 13km of roads would be constructed in Lafia, while 3.8km would be constructed in Akwanga.
She said the roads to be constructed were the 3.5km UAC – Gona Malam Sarki Road and the 9.5km Gona Malam Sarki – Kwandere –College of Agriculture Road awarded to TRIACTA Construction Company at the cost of N571 million.
At Akwanga, Monde said the roads billed for construction by ENL Construction Company were the 1.14km Wamba Bye-pass –KassimIdris Street; the 2.63km Diamond Bank–GRA -Jos road as well as the rehabilitation of a culvert at Shepherd School Road, all valued at N638.4 million.
The commissioner said the contractors were selected based on their past performances and availability of equipment as well as personnel following a competitive bidding.
She said that the contracts for the roads were in keeping with Gov. Umaru Al-Makura’s urban development programme. (NAN)