Bauchi State Government says it has settled a backlog of debts amounting to N700 million to Bauchi State Fertilizer Company and has approved an additional N1 billion loan to the company to boost production ahead of this year’s farming season.
Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir, the State Governor, made the disclosure on Tuesday when he paid a visit to the company in continuation of his projects inspection tour across the state.
Governor Mohammed said the resolved of the government in settling the backlog and the loan approval was to bolster the company to enable it supply fertilizer to all farmers in the state and the north east.
“With the financial support given to it by the government, the company could extend the supply to other parts of the north, considering the fact that 99 per cent of the population of Bauchi state are farmers and only one per cent are civil servants.
“Almost all the federal allocations we collect monthly amounting to N6 billion N7 billion are expended on salaries. We therefore feel that we must boost agriculture and support our farmers who produce food for us”, the governor stated.
Governor Mohammed urged the company to deploy the resources in boosting local production capacity for its domestic customers.
The chairman of the company Alhaji Bappa Aliyu Misau expressed appreciation to the governor for the gesture saying the money would boost the company’s production and profits.
The Chairman called on farmers to take advantage of the various federal government interventions on agriculture and boost their farm produce and improve socio-economic development in the state, adding that it will help curtail unemployment in Bauchi State.
