N1.5 bn food storage facility to be ready April

Category: News Published on Friday, 25 January 2013 01:50 Written by Atika Balal, Awka

A N1.5 billion agricultural food storage facility located in Igbariam, Anambra State has been scheduled for completion April.

The silo complex, which has a 25,000 metric tonne storage capacity, is already at 70 percent completion stage.

Information Minister Labaran Maku said the Federal Government has embarked on constructing silos all over the country so as to ensure Nigeria has a grain reserve of sufficient food that can last a long while even in times of national emergency.

He spoke yesterday when the National Good Governance Tour team visited the National Food Reserve Agency in Igbariam.

Maku said Nigeria is trying to increase its capacity to preserve grains as well as ensure price stability in times of inflation. He said the Federal Government has through the Agriculture Transformation Agenda eliminated the use of middle men in the distribution of fertilizer and other impediments. Earlier, the team visited an ongoing construction of the Federal Secretariat in Awka.

The project, which was awarded at the cost of N2.5 billion, has a capacity of 240 offices to house every federal agency in the state.