๐๐ฆ๐ข ๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ
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๐๐จ๐ ๐ข ๐๐๐ญ๐
By
Hon. Adeyemi Abidemi
Executive Director
Finance and Administration
Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority
As part of our Renewed Hope mandate to ensure food and nutrition security in Nigeria I engaged in an official extensive tour of Omi Dam in Yagba West Local Government of Kogi State and I must confess it was a marvel! Nigeria is blessed and we have what it takes to become the most secured country in the world when it comes to food and nutrition.
With 8,000 hectares of arable land the rest Is better left to imagination Omi dam has the capacity to produce over 10million metric tons of fish and Nigeria only produces 3million at the moment. Omi Dam and the land mass can also host approximately 10,000 cash crops, over 100 Agro allied industries and can employ as much 500,000 directly and indirectly, well over 14,000 metric tons of rice can also be harvested annually, Across the value chain Omi dam alone can generate as much as $2bn dollars annually in export for the Nation.
It is time for the federal government, Kogi and Kwara State and private investors to work together to make this gift of nature to propel our economy and secure our nation food and nutrition wise. Omi dam will revolutionize agriculture and the economy at large.
At Lower Niger River basin, we are resolved to think big and fulfill the mandate of the president but we need all hands-on deck. The issue of insecurity can be a very deterring factor in achieving this lofty objective.
The community, stakeholders and security forces have a huge roll to play so that we can turn this gift of nature to an economic hub.
Hon. Adeyemi Abidemi
Executive Director
Finance and Administration
Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority