By Abubakar Hassan
Niger state government has met with the committee set up by the Kontagora Emirate Council to look into the 5,000 hectares of land to be acquired by Brains and Hammers for the Rice City project in Wushishi local government area.
Commissioner for Land and Survey, Niger state, Barr. Maurice Bello Magaji led other officials of the ministry and representative of Brains and Hammers for the meeting at the Emir's Palace, Kontagora on Thursday.
Barr. Maurice explained that whenever the government is interested in acquiring land or partnering with communities in any part of the state, it engages the stakeholders on a sideboard meeting to explain to those involved the purpose the land is meant for and how the project will benefit the people.
He disclosed that Brains and Hammers Green was interested in acquiring 5,000 hectares of land in Wushishi for the purpose of rice farming, adding that Governor Mohammed Umar Bago named himself the Farmer Governor while on a visit to the Rice City in Wushishi which happened to be under Kontagora Emirate.
The Commissioner added that the sideboard meeting was an opportunity to explain to the Emirate, community leaders, and all those involved what the project was all about how it would benefit the people, and the extent of land the government was interested in.
He further stated that the government was assisting in facilitating the acquisition of the land by Brains and Hammers Green for the benefit of the people in the community, the state, and the country at large.
The Commissioner who said their doors were open to more engagement for clarifications, also appreciated the committee for the warmth reception accorded to him and his entourage.
The Community Relation Officer of Brains and Hammers, Mohammed Arah who represented his company at the sitting said they were into a lot of sectors including housing, hospitality, and agriculture, saying they want to take the opportunity of the abundant resources in the state to create jobs for the people.
He added that Brains and Hammers were into problem-solving across sectors and that Agriculture is where their intervention was needed at the moment because they want to feed the nation, revealing that they are aiming at building the biggest Rice City in Africa through mechanized farming.
Mohammed Arah disclosed that they have been in Wushishi for about five years test running the project through research and development, aiming at attracting the youths into Agriculture through mechanized farming.
In his submission, the Magayakin Kontagora and Chairman of the committee, Alhaji Adamu Kanta said the initiative by Brains and Hammers Green was good and that it would benefit their people.
He observed that the project will assist their people, particularly in the area of job creation, poverty eradication, as well as food security, praying to God to bless the initiative.
The Magayakin Kontagora also promised that the Emirate council would support the initiative because the explanations showed that the project would benefit their people if well managed, adding that sensitization was very important and that they would sensitize the people of the project community.
The Commissioner was accompanied by the permanent secretary of the state Ministry of Land and Survey, Dr. Abdul Hussaini, and other top management staff of the Ministry.
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