A bill for an Act to establish National Integrated Rural Community Development Agency on Tuesday, scaled second reading at the senate.
Leading debate on the general principles of the bill, Sen.Stella Oduah (PDP-Anambra) said the bill seeks to adress developmental challenges in rural communities by improve the living conditions of the people in a sustainable manner.
“The major objectives of this bill is to give our rural areas a boost in terms of infrastructure development as well as improve the living standard of the people.
“These will be achieved through the establishment of the agency with the specific function of fostering community environmental and ecological sustainability,” she said.
Oduah said the bill would help evolve measures to mitigate hight poverty rate in rural areas.
She said critical infrastructure and services, like water, energy and telecoms were lacking in rural communities.
According to her, the agency, when established, would evolve and implement policies and programmes in the areas for self-sufficiency in food production.
Contributing, Sen. Sabi Abdullahi(APC-Niger)said that the non application of integrated approach in solving rural challenges had been a major problem over the years.
This, he said had resulted in massive poverty in rural communities.
Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo -Agege who presided over plenary refered the bill to the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development for further legislative inputs to report back in four weeks.
.(NAN)
