The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), on Tuesday, handed over 68,087 litres of gel fertiliser to Niger Government for persons affected
By Rita Iliya
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), on Tuesday, handed over 68,087 litres of gel fertiliser to Niger Government for persons affected by the 2018 flood in the state.
The Director General of the agency, Mrs Zubaida Umar, represented by the Director, Planning, Research and Forecasting, delivered the fertiliser in Minna.
Umar said that the fertiliser came from the National Food Security Council – Emergency Agricultural Intervention (NFSC – EAI) for states affected by the 2018 flood.
She said that the fertiliser was a replacement for the balance of NPK fertiliser approved for the state under the NFSC-EAI for states affected by 2018 flood.
“This was concluded due to the changes in the regulations by the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative.
“This led to the termination of the contract between NEMA and the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority for the supply of NPK fertiliser to benefitting states,” she said.
She further said that after the termination of the contract, the agency sought approval to substitute granular powder fertilizer with liquid gel fertiliser.
According to her, one litre of liquid gel fertiliser is equivalent to 50Kg of NPK 20-10-10 fertiliser.
Umar also said that President Bola Ahmed approved the agency’s request as part of the Renewed Hope Agenda, adding that the fertiliser was intended to reach the beneficiaries before the start of the planting season.
She said that the approval was due to the efforts of Vice President Kashim Shettima to ensure that benefitting states received the balance of the fertiliser due to them.
Responding, the state Acting Governor, Mr Yakubu Garba, thanked the Federal Government and NEMA for ensuring that the state received the balance of its fertiliser.
Garba said that the fertiliser would help farmers affected by the 2018 flood to return to farming, adding that the fertiliser would be adequately utilitised. (NAN)
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