In other to tap the potential for growth through the agricultural value chains, five northeastern state governments have adopted an agribusiness innovative financing model currently in place in Adamawa State.
The states are; Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe, Borno and Taraba.
The Adamawa State government has recently employed the services of the Arewa Research and Development Project (ARDP) to implement the new agribusiness model which it says has the potential of making the state financially independent.
The five state governors resolved to implement the business model at the just-concluded North East Governors Forum (NEGF) meeting in Jalingo, the capital of Taraba State.
In a communique signed by Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, chairman of the NEGF, the state governors directed ARDP to immediately prepare and submit the project proposal to the NEGF Secretariat for onward transmission to the various States for implementation.
The Governors during the meeting which is the 5th since it came on board appreciated the general improvement of the security situation in the region and called for continuous collaboration of all the security agencies in the country to sustain the gains.
The Forum called on the diplomatic community, partners, and donor agencies supporting the region to activate the process of transiting from humanitarian to stabilization and durable solution within the region in order to ensure sustainability and give people the opportunity to help themselves out of poverty.
While frowning at the negative impact of drug and narcotic substances in the region and the extent to which it fuels the insurgency and other forms of criminality in the region, the governors called on the federal government to support the region in the area of stoppage of drug trafficking and enforcing narcotic control across the borders.
While commending the giant strides being made by the Rural Electrification Agency of Nigeria (REAN) the governors resolved to support the agency to deliver on its mandate calling on the agency to intensify working with designated Focal Persons at the individual states to ensure a justifiable spread of projects across the region.
The governors however expressed deep concern over the activities of the NEDC as an intervention agency in the region, adding that the level of consultation between the Commission and the various State Governments within the region on project priorities and locations is low and the speed of work on those projects already in place within the region, is slow.
The forum, therefore, calls on the Commission to consult the various State Governments within the region on priorities for intervention, location of projects, and the development of the North East Masterplan. It equally calls for expedited action to complete the existing projects in the region.
The Forum appreciated Commissioners of the Federal Character Commission at ensuring compliance with the Federal Character principle but expressed dismay over the shortfall in the number of applicants from the region in the recent recruitment into some Federal Agencies.
The governors, therefore, resolved to follow up with all the concerned agencies to ensure that the region gets its fair share in the recruitments into the concerned agencies.
While expressing dismay at the teething challenges being faced by the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project the governors noted with dismay, that the project as important as it is, to Nigeria and the North-East sub-region, is surrounded by a lot of contractual encumbrances which have stalled its take-off and realization.
The Forum, therefore calls on the President to accord the project the desired seriousness by establishing a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to address the encumbrances and bring the project to reality.
In their bid to reposition Education in the sub-region, the governors have adopted a report from the North East Council on Education with a view to improving the quality and performance of students and teachers’ screening and training in the region.