Adedapo Adesanya
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs have said they will be working together to develop agriculture in the Niger Delta.
According to a statement signed by the Head of Press and Public Relations at the ministry, Mrs Patricia Deworitshe, the alliance was sealed by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr Godswill Akpabio, during a courtesy visit to the CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, in Abuja.
The Minister stated that the joint venture would not only help to explore the agricultural potential of the region but also add value to its food chain production while further creating employment for its youth population.
Senator Akpabio explained that the Ministry has a pilot programme on rice production in the nine states of the region which is anticipated to commence soon.
He noted that this would help to provide employment opportunities for the people, put a check to hostilities and improve the living standard of the people in the region.
According to the Minister, “The CBN, the Ministry and Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) cooperation is real, it has come to stay and also commended the CBN Governor for what he has been doing so far in the Anchors Borrowers Programme (ABP).”
On his part, the Minister of State, Ministry of Niger Delta, Mr Omotayo Alasoadura, expressed the readiness of the Ministry to work with the apex bank to pull resources together in doing the needful to drive the process.
Backing up what the Minister said, the Minister of State noted that the partnership was in line with President Buhari’s plan for the development of the Niger Delta people and region.
“With the support of the CBN, we are going to work to ensure that efforts of both sides come to fruition,” he said.
In his remarks, the Special Assistant to the CBN Governor, Mr Anthony Ikechukwu, noted that the CBN’s doors were open to supporting viable projects with no limit to financing in different aspects of agriculture development.
He added that if it such development is evidence-based that the apex bank was going to work across the region with the various teams that have been put on ground.
