Yobe, Morocco revive fertiliser plant to boost IGR, exports
By Tada Juthan, Maiduguri
The Secretary to the Yobe State Government, Alhaji Baba Mallam Wali, has led an economic team to Morocco to revive the Gujba fertiliser blending plant to boost internally generated revenues (IGR) and exports.
According to him, the team comprises the commissioners of agriculture and natural resources, higher education, local government, and chieftaincy affairs: Mustapha Goniri, Prof. Bello Kawuwa, and Ibrahim Adamu Jajere, respectively, and the council chairman of Damaturu, Bukar Adamu.
The Director General, Press and Media Affairs to the governor, Mohammed Mamman, stated on Thursday in Damaturu, “The team’s visit to the North African country was part of the state government’s efforts to resuscitate the fertiliser blending plant in Gujba local council in Yobe state.”
Mamman said that the six-member Yobe economic team has already visited the OCP/Jorf Lasfar fertiliser complex in Morocco,” noting that they were conducted around the Moroccan fertiliser facility by Amine Janaleddine, the spokesperson of the Jorf Lasfar complex.
Highlighting the importance of the fertiliser facilities, Janaleddine said, “This is our largest fertiliser blending company across the globe, with an all-year-round production capacity of 15 million tonnes of fertilisers each year.
Besides the production capacity, she added, “The fertiliser company engages about 20,000 staff in the production and supplies of various types of fertilisers to many other countries in the world.”
In his remarks, Wali expressed satisfaction with the commitments of the fertiliser blending firm to partner with our state government.” He stated that the partnership with Morocco will be to revive the fertiliser blending plant this year in Gujba, Yobe State.
Wali noted that the Buni administration is committed to resuscitating the fertiliser-producing plant to meet farmers’ requirements in the state.
He added that the completion of the fertiliser factory will boost internally generated revenues (IGR) and exports to other countries to earn foreign exchange.Besides the foreign exchange earnings, the Commissioner of Agriculture, Goniri, said that the revival of the fertiliser plant would also support the Buni administration in the agricultural sector of the state’s economy.
In July last year, the state government launched a N15.3 billion agricultural empowerment program for 5,350 farmers in the 178 wards of the state. The farm inputs distributed to farmers include 100 tractors, dozens of solar-powered water pumps, harvesters, land tillers, threshers, improved seeds, herbicides, and other irrigation facilities.
According to Mamman, the consulting firm that owns the African Network Centre in Morocco, expressed optimism that the partnership would benefit both Yobe and the Moroccan fertiliser firm.
Meanwhile, Buni is expected to arrive in Marrakesh, Morocco, on Thursday to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on education and investments in the 17 local council areas.
