NALDA's Executive Secretary, Prince Paul Ikonne and Gov. Babagana Zulum, at the Authority’s Headquarters in Abuja.
The recently revived Borno Plastic Industry (BOPLAS) has been named as the official manufacturer of millions of sacks for the packaging of rice been cultivated under the National Food Programme been undertaken by the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA).
NALDA’s Executive Secretary, Prince Paul Ikonne made that announcement on Wednesday when Borno Governor, Babagana Zulum visited the Authority’s Headquarters in Abuja.
“Borno state is our official producer of local sacks both for our rice program and other programs. We have placed an order of 2 million sacks, it will not stop at the initial 2 million, it is going to be a continuous process as we made a request. Your Excellency, we are committed to working with you”, Ikonne said.
The Executive Secretary’s comment is an actualization of an order the NALDA placed, when he led top officials to an inspection tour of production facilities at BOPLAS, in January this year.
Mr Ikonne had announced after his inspection, that with what he saw, NALDA was buying two million pieces of 50kg sacks from BOPLAS.
He explained that the NALDA’s choice of Borno was as not because of the state’s peculiar challenges but particularly due to Governor Zulum’s commitment for agricultural development.
Borno was chosen for the launch of a program on “Soil Doctors/agricultural extension workers” that would hold on 1st of March 2021.
He added that Borno would also be a take off point for NALDA’s “grow your food” programme in which Nigerians will be encouraged to grow what they will eat.
Meanwhile, Governor Zulum had during his Wednesday’s visit, informed the NALDA boss of his administration’s commitment to food production, adding that his government would collaborate with NALDA to key into all Federal Government Agricultural Programmes.