The Bauchi State organized a stakeholders’ scoping workshop on the Bauchi State Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ), Phase II project, one of the projects introduced by the African Development Bank (ADB) to boost agriculture and promote food availability and security.
The State Commissioner of Agriculture, Professor Simon Madugu Yalams, speaking at the event held at the Conference Hall of the State Agricultural Development Project (BSADP), noted that the purpose of the workshop is to sensitize the stakeholders about the project.
The commissioner, represented by the Special Adviser to Governor Bala Mohammed on Agriculture, Dr. Iliyasu Aliyu Gital, disclosed that based on the performance of the SAPZ and the quality of the proposed project, other banks, such as the Arab Development Bank and the International Bank for Agricultural Development, are also funding the project.
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He explained that no fewer than fifty participants have been selected from the 20 local government areas of Bauchi state, with Bauchi LG having five slots, including the university community, security, the media, and government officials, to participate in the SAPZ Phase II project.
He pointed out that the workshop will also give the participants the opportunity to know what is expected of them and their environment, particularly at this time when the project is taking environmental assessment into consideration, adding that SAPZ cannot be started without ensuring that the concerned people are fully aware and educated about it.
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“This is because any project has an environmental impact; therefore, we want to assess what the negative impact of the project is going to cause to the environment and what environmental issues the project will benefit from. So today we will discuss them, and if there are any problems with the project, we will know how to mitigate them,” the commissioner said.
