By Nneka Nwogwugwu
The federal government has commissioned yam storage facility built in Nasarawa state to produce 200 jobs for Nigerians.
The facility which can store 45–50 metric tonnes of yam seeds was commissioned on Sunday.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Muhammad Sabo Nanono commissioned the yam storage facility at the faculty of Agriculture, Nasarawa State University, Keffi-Shabu-Lafia.
The yam storage facility is estimated to cover 16 hectares of land, a statement by the Ministry’s Chief Information Officer, Ezeaja Ikemefuna stated.
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony, Nanono noted that the huge output of using clean seed yam will boost production, increase earnings of yam farmers and enhance the export of yam from Nasarawa state.
The minister said that the location of the facility inside the university will immensely add value to teaching, research and income generation for farmers in the state, adding that the facility will generate about 200 jobs in the value chain.
In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor, Nasarawa State University, Prof. Suleiman Bala Mohammed appreciated the minister and his team for commissioning the yam storage facility.
Prof. Mohammed revealed that the sum of N35 million was released by the state government to establish an aeroponics system for seed production and it is also a component of yam value chain.
Among other places visited by the minister include Shabu Integrated Farms, Kokona in Nasarawa State, where he expressed satisfaction with the storage facilities displayed by RIELA International, an organisation that specializes in manufacturing high quality storage and processing equipment, planning, engineering, assembling and services for efficient and cost effective solutions of grain handling and preservation.
The minister was taken through a chain of corn processing from de kenneling the corn, cleaning to producing the corn flour among other products.
The minister in company of the Governor of Nassarawa State, Engr. Abdulahi Sule, had earlier paid a visit to the Dangote Sugar Farm housing 68,000 hectares of sugar farm in Tunga, Nassarawa State.
