Efforts are being made by the Niger State government to bring to life, a number of wasted and dilapidated projects for livestock and fisheries across the state. The expression of the state government’s desire was stated when four commissioners went examine several of the projects with the view of assessing how to harness them for the economic benefit of the state. The commissioners, who undertook this assessment include the Commissioner of Information, Binta Mamman; Commissioner of Industry, Trade and Investment, Aminu Takuma; Commissioner of Livestock and Fisheries; Ibrahim Ijah; and Commissioner of Nomadic and Pastoral Affairs, Umar Sanda.
The commissioners visited the Niger State Livestock Improved Breeding Centre, Tagwai Dam Fishing Hatchery, the State Poultry Production Unit, the Rabbitry, and the Veterinary Clinic. After the assessment, the Commissioner of Information, Binta Mamman said that the facilities were dilapidated and abandoned for a long time, adding that the government was going to resuscitate them into money-making venture for the state. “These places are wasted and all the facilities in them have collapsed. A lot of money has been put by the government into these facilities and unfortunately today, none of them is working. The government can resuscitate these places even though a lot of work needs to be done. We are going to advise the government accordingly to see how we can work on this place to attract investors to come and invest in what they do.
The Commissioner of Industry, Trade and Investment, Aminu Takuma expressed his disappointment over the state of the facilities pointing out that the state was losing revenues from the facilities. “These places have been in existence for the past 10 years and look at the state they are now. This is what we term a waste of resources because the government has put in resources to set this up, but today, nothing is coming out of it. Looking at the investment possibilities of these facilities, it can generate a lot to the state. Right now, we will put it out of the government’s hands and look for investors, who will take charge of it. We have several investors, who are interested in meat processing, pastoral production, and animal feeds”.
The Commissioner of Livestock and Fisheries, Ibrahim Ijah said that the project would be designed for the youths, women and civil servants, who are about to retire, in the areas of poultry production, cattle production, care of small ruminants, aquaculture, and pasture production. The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, Dr. Mathew Ahmed, said that the government was looking deep into pasture production as feed, as this would be a tool that would sustain these livestock, adding that the state has feed mills that can produce 1.5 metric tonnes per hour, noting that the Tagwai Dam Fishery Hatchery can hatch and rear 18,000 fishes per time while in the poultry section, the incubator for hatching birds, can hatch 23,000 chicks per week in the state, which is located in the Northcentral zone of Nigeria.
