The Federal Government has approved the sum of $575 million to improve agricultural marketing in 11 states.
The states are Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Kano, Katsina, Kogi, Kebbi, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Plateau and Sokoto.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Abubakar Mahmood, disclosed this at the ministerial media briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team on Thursday in Abuja.
He said another $538 million was approved for special agricultural processing zones to support inclusive and sustainable agricultural development in Nigeria. Also, $575 million was allocated to improve rural access, in order to strengthen the financing institutional base for effective development, maintenance and management of the rural roads network.
Mahmood also disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has created about 3.6 million indirect jobs from N461.9bn worth of externally funded projects.
He said the project is currently being implemented in nine states, including Niger, Benue, Ogun, Ebonyi, Taraba and Anambra, Nasarawa, Kogi and Enugu.
The Minister also said that the government has recruited about 5,000 Agro Rangers that guide farmers against bandits, adding that they have been deployed to different parts of the country.
