The Niger State Government has sealed a Framework Agreement for Commodities off-take between Niger Food Security & Logistics Company, and the Tropical General Investments (TGI) Group, as part of moves to fortify food security and stimulate economic growth in the state.
Under the terms of the agreement, Niger State Government will spearhead the cultivation, harvesting, aggregation, and sales of vital crops such as paddy, soya beans, maize, and sesame seeds, while TGI Group, which acts as off-taker, will assume responsibility for the seamless purchase and transportation of the farm produce.
Governor Mohammed Bago, who expressed enthusiasm on the partnership, said: “This is history made, not in the making. Just today, we have concluded on various pieces of land we have in the state. The traditional institutions and the Local Council System have also been mandated for advocacy.
“I can assure you that in less than three months, we can deliver you from aggregation, even before cropping, in any quantity of whatever you want from the state. We are going to be partners, and we will promote agriculture not just in Niger State but across Nigeria. This opportunity will create the value chain from production and cropping to processing and other endeavors.”
The Vice Chairman, TGI Group, Africa, Mr. Farouk Gumel, said: “This agreement will ensure that WACOT is fed with the immediate needs to meet our global orders. We have WACOT Rice Limited – the biggest, single Rice Mill in Sub-Saharan Africa; to produce our premium quality rice, we need paddy, and Niger State will supply us paddy.
“We have one of the largest poultry businesses on the continent and Niger State is stepping up to ensure that we get the maize we need to feed the poultry for the product that we produce. Therefore, this is a partnership that will not only change our group but will definitely change Nigeria.
Spanning the next five years, the partnership anticipates the production of an impressive 600,000 to one million tonnes of food yearly. More than a mere statistic, the company said the initiative will engage over 100,000 farmers cultivating over 100,000 hectares of arable land across the state. The projected economic influx is staggering, promising over N1tr yearly to bolster the state’s economic prosperity.
