FCTA, AfDB collaborate on special livestock processing project
By Taofeek Lawal, Abuja
The Federal Capital Territory administration (FCTA) in conjunction with the African Development Bank (AfDB) has provided N5 billion counterpart funding from its 2021 budget for the take off of the Special Livestock Processing Zone (SLPZ) in the Federal Capital Territory.
The chairman, Project Implementation Committee, FCTA/SLPZ, Professor Muhammad Usman, revealed this during the appraisal on the state of preparedness of the FCTA/AfDB for the take off of the Special Livestock Processing Zone. Professor Usman said the Special Agro-industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) is essentially one of the strategies of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government to create jobs for the youth and take 100 million Nigerians out of poverty over the next nine years.
According to him, the N5 billion which will cut across five budget lines will cover items such as counterpart contribution for resettlement and compensation cost of those that will be displaced as a result of the project, maintenance and upgrade of facilities to project development activities. He said the presence of the AfDB and other partners have shown the commitment on their part to support infrastructure, the project management and capacity development.
He said, “The presence of the African Development Bank (AfDB) and other partners in the course of the implementation of the project is that they are bringing in funds which will catalyse the project implementation. The development of infrastructure you saw during AfDB presentation team shows that they are supporting infrastructure, project management and capacity development. What the FCTA is committing to is the provision of counterpart resources that will allow for internal processes needed for project. The payment of compensation for the land to be acquired will be borne by the FCTA. The FCTA is committed to the maintenance of these facilities and the provision of new ones as may be needed and as a complement to project implementation.
“We are pooling all resources and stakeholders together to ensure that our implementation of the Special Livestock Industrial Processing Zone (SLIPZ) in the FCT is not only successful but a scheme that can generate impact not only in neighbouring states but across the country and beyond. The livestock industry is an important industry because the pastoralists are estimated to be around 20 million in the country but the industry needs a lot of support from the government and all sundry to ensure that we avoid the emerging issues of farmers-herders conflict and low input production system,” he added.
The Team Lead for the Nigeria SAPZ Program, Monde Nyambe, said the initial phases of the project will spread across the country starting from the FCT. She stated that AfDB is providing counterpart funding to the tune of $500 million out of which $250 million has been earmarked for the first phase for the year 2021.
