From Maduabuchi Nmeribeh, Kano
Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project (KSADP), funded by the Islamic Development Bank, (IsDB) and Lives and Livelihood Fund (LLF), in collaboration with Kano state government, have designed a whopping budget of N23, 076, 030, 000, 34 as a financial plan for provision of infrastructure and other interventions in the year 2023.
The State Project Coordinator of KSADP, Malam Ibrahim Garba Muhammad, made this known during a presentation before the Steering Committee of the project, chaired by the Kano State Deputy Governor, Dr. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna.
He stated that the budget involves expenditure on several projects including Dansoshiya Grazing Reserve development, expansion of Watari irrigation scheme by 1,000 hectares, and upgrade of 20 Slaughter houses.
Others are commercial large scale fodder production, second batch of livestock fattening and reproduction schemes, implementation of straw utilization empowerment for youth, construction of grains storage facilities, Dawanau Market Infrastructure development, construction of 70km feeder roads as well as Stock Routes development.
“Crops Value Chain Intervention (Cereals) by Sasakawa Africa Association, Crops Value Chain Intervention (Legumes) by KNARDA as well Project coordination and management activities were also captured in the budget,” he added.
Ibrahim Garba, further stated that, “non-payment of State government counterpart funds and encroachment of Dansohiya Grazing Reserve, thus, impeding development sites, as major challenges militating against smooth execution of the project.”
However, the State Deputy Governor, Dr. Gawuna said that, “in the first two years since the formal take-off of this project, attention has been focused on putting things on paper – planning, projecting and designing, etc.
“It is only in this year, 2022, that the results started to manifest more clearly, in terms of capital projects and activities, which have impacted positively on our people.”
While commending KSADP’s implementation strategy, the Deputy Governor thanked the Project Management Unit for its strict budget implementation in the past year, hoping that the trend will be maintained.