The Federal Government will construct six bulk produce cargo airports in the Federal Capital Territory and five other states, the Minister of State for the FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, disclosed on Thursday.
Lagos, Rivers, Benue and Plateau States are among the locations where cargo airports would also be positioned in the country.
The minister, who stated this during a meeting with members of the Local Organising Committee on the Agricultural Show and Exhibition in the FCT, said the cargo airports would be used for transporting bulk agricultural produce.
She reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to make the country sufficient in rice production by 2014.
Akinjide said: “The Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is working assiduously for Nigeria to be rice sufficient by 2014.
“The government in collaboration with State Governments has initiated a Rice Mills Programme and is procuring rice mills which would be distributed across the States and FCT. The FCT is expected to get two of the rice mills which will be located in Abaji and Kwali Area Councils.”
Endorsing the agricultural show and exhibition slated to hold between December 5 and 8, 2012, Akinjide advised the youths to take up employment in agriculture which, she stated, was financially rewarding.
She said: “The Federal Government has revolutionized the agriculture sector with the development of a new policy aimed at making agriculture commercial. The Government has introduced the Agricultural Transformation Agenda aimed at revamping the agriculture sector, ensuring food security, diversifying the economy, and enhancing foreign exchange earnings.
“Under the ATA, key initiatives such as the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GESS) have been introduced to support smallholder farmers in the agriculture value chain. The ultimate goal is to ensure that agriculture is practiced as lucrative commercial enterprise that is not only sustainable but also attractive to our youths and young people.”
Earlier, the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee on Agricultural Show and Exhibition in the FCT, Alhaji Ari Isa Mohammed, explained that the FCT Administration was partnering with the Abuja Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture to organise the exhibition.
“The Department of Economic Planning, Research and Statistics is working with the Agricultural and Rural Development Secretariat and other stakeholders and have since commenced preparation by setting up a Local Organising Committee for the Agricultural Show and Exhibition,” said Mohammed, who is the Director of Economic Planning, Research and Statistics in the FCTA.
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