Adamawa, a North East Nigerian state, can generate N180bn from its cattle trade, if properly repositioned and modernised, says a consultant with Arewa Research and Development Project, Aminu Buhari.
While presenting his research findings on agribusiness to the Adamawa State Government, on Sunday, in Yola, Buhari said that if the cattle markets in Genye, Ngurore, Song and Mubi were modernised, the state could rake N180bn within 10 years.
The consultant, who was engaged by the Governor Ahmadu Fintiri administration to help develop a blueprint for the state on agribusiness, pointed out that Adamawa was the second poorest state in the country in terms of Internal Generated Revenue.
According to the research, investing in the state’s livestock industry has proved to be economically beneficial.
Buhari pointed out that agribusiness would provide opportunities for all strata of the society and reduce youth migration to urban areas as well as crime rate in the state.
“Adamawa is at a crossroads financially. Agribusiness is very important because, in the near future, states depending on federal allocation will no longer meet their financial obligations,” he said.
Fintiri, he noted, is correcting the ills in a sector that was neglected by previous administrations, noting that the programme, if effectively implemented, the state would exit the group of financially distressed states.
Represented at the sensitisation workshop on agribusiness support programme by the Secretary to State Government, Bashiru Ahmad, the governor said the workshop was organised to educate the people of the state on why government was taking the N100bn bond.
The bond, which he said the state would access in four tranches of N25bn yearly for four years, would be fully channelled to agribusiness.
If the state fails to diversify its economy to increase IGR, in the future, even workers cannot be paid due to the complications facing the oil industry in the country, he added.
Urging Adamawa people to disregard the rumour that the money would be diverted, he charged the people to ask those sponsoring such malicious campaign if the promises made by the present administration were not implemented within two years.
