The Managing Director of Niger Delta Basin Development Authority (NDBDA), Engr Tonye David West, said that the NDBDA’s 25,000 birds poultry, fish and cash crops farms are capable of generating jobs for teeming Rivers State youths and ensuring sufficient food security in the state.
Engr David West, who disclosed this when he visited the DPO in charge of Bori Divisional Police Headquarters in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, said the farm settlement was set up in a way to also provide sufficient food for the people of Niger Delta.
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Engr David West, who solicited the support of police in securing the expansive farm, said partnering with the police was necessary to provide security to the over 84 hectares of farmland located at Kpon community.
He said that the multi-million naira federal government-sponsored project is so dear to the Minister of Water Resources, Engineer Suleiman Adamu, because it has the propensity to create jobs and provide food sufficiency for Nigerians.
“As federal agencies, it is only important we partner with you to provide the needed security to the facilities we have at the farms.
“As you know, we are just about to go into full operations after successfully completing the construction of different infrastructural projects at the Songhai integrated farm.
“Our cardinal objective is hinged on the promise of President Mohammadu Buhari of providing food security to all Nigerians.
“We have also set machinery in motion to train the youths of the Niger Delta region on skill acquisition for self-reliance and improve their individual economic base.
“It will also interest you to know that the farm settlement is capable of providing sufficient foods for the Niger Delta region.
‘Our eggs, chickens, plantain, banana, fish, and different cash crops will soon be on sale.
“There is also an opportunity to employ thousands of youths through direct and indirect labour.
“One of the core objectives of the federal government is food security.
“We have about 25,000 birds and eggs.”
Engr Tonye, who owned up to the security challenges within the farm community, thanked the security agencies for changing the ugly narrative, adding that the constant presence of police patrol team within the farm settlement would stave off any form of security threat to the project.
In his response, the Bori DPO, Superintendent Bako Angbashim, said that it was a big challenge to deal with rising insecurity situation in the farming community and the entire Ogoni kingdom.
He, therefore, pleaded with NDBDA to integrate cow and rice farming into its project, saying that the area has green vegetation where cows can graze on.
This, according to him, can create more jobs for the youths of the community as a way of diverting their minds from crimes.
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