Yobe received the Arab Bank consulting team

By: Yahaya Wakili

The Yobe state government, through the office of the secretary to the state government, Alhaji Baba Mallam Wali mni, has received a reputable consulting team who were engaged to conduct comprehensive feasibility studies and technical designs for the successful implementation of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) project in the state.

The SSG who received the team on behalf of the state government highlighted three priority areas identified by the Executive Governor of Yobe State, Hon. Mai Mala Buni CON, to be handled under the project.

He articulated the three key areas to include: infrastructure, agriculture, and energy, which were strategically selected to improve the livelihoods and promote the economic growth of the citizens.

While making his remarks, the Secretary to the State Government has called on the consultant to justify the conference reposed on them by the government.

Earlier speaking, State Focal Person BADEA, Idriss Mohammed Yaro Gumsa, told the SSG that consultants were in Yobe for the past couple of days as he took them round for a sightseeing visit to some of the proposed project sites.

Also, as part of the mandate for the consultants visit to Yobe, the state government conducted a high-level stakeholder engagement aimed at preparing necessary requirements for securing alternate financing to drive sustainable development and enhance the quality of lives of Yobe communities through funding from  BADE.

The session chaired by the SSG, represented by the Hon. Commissioner of Finance and Economic Development, Alhaji Mohammed Abatcha Geidam, was meant to deliberate on the technical aspect of the project proposal.

“Under agriculture, the proposed initiatives include supporting 20,000 smallholder farmers across the 17 LGAs of the state with essential inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, and equipment, including solar-powered water pumps and hand-push tillers, among others.

“Establishing 50 small-scale irrigation schemes in Yobe State to facilitate year-round crop production, targeting over 14,000 individual beneficiaries.

According to him, the focus for infrastructure development in the project involves the construction and rehabilitation of 253 kilometers of rural and urban roads across the state.

Others include drilling and installing 200 hybrid solar-powered boreholes in urban-rural communities, boarding secondary schools and primary healthcare centers, as well as construction of 200-bed capacity hostels in the designated tertiary institutions across the three senatorial districts.

While the energy sector intends to provide solar and renewable energy solutions for boarding schools, specialist hospitals, healthcare centers, and modern markets and promote energy efficiency through advanced technologies and practices.

He urged the consulting firm to work in line with the state government’s priorities and ensure due diligence in the conduct of their assignment.

Meanwhile, in his presentation on the overview of the BADEA project in Yobe, the State Focal Person, Idriss Mohammed Yaro, highlighted the deliberate efforts made by the Yobe state government towards attracting the BADEA project, which include an official visit to the Arab Bank’s headquarters in Riyadh by our leader and people-oriented governor, His Excellency, Governor Mai Mala Buni CON.

The consultant assured the government of their commitment to deliver the assignment according to standard specifications.

Yobe received the Arab Bank consulting team