Bauchi State Govt. Revives Dilapidated Greenhouse to Drive Climate-Smart Agriculture
News Desk:
The Bauchi State Government has commissioned a rehabilitated five-hectare greenhouse facility at the College of Agriculture, aimed at promoting climate-smart agriculture, research, skills development and revenue generation.
The facility was rehabilitated through the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes, ACReSAL, project with support from the World Bank, after reportedly remaining dilapidated for more than five years.
Speaking during the commissioning, the Bauchi State ACReSAL Focal Person, Dr Kabir Ibrahim, said the intervention followed a request for guidance on the deteriorating condition of the facility.
Dr Kabir said the greenhouse is already being used to train youths and women in climate-smart agricultural practices, while students from Bauchi, Plateau, Yobe and Kano States are benefiting from the facility for research and practical training.
He noted that the facility comprises different production units, including Duplex One and Two, Jumbo and a larger unit known as Titanic.
According to him, Duplex One alone has the capacity for about 45,000 plants, with each plant capable of producing up to two kilogrammes in one production cycle.
The Focal Person said the facility had already commenced harvesting and revenue generation, stressing the need for a sustainability plan and an appropriate management structure to ensure accountability and continuity.
Also speaking, the ACReSAL Task Team Leader, Dr Joy Egena, described the greenhouse as one of the largest facilities of its kind under the project.
Dr Egena said a recent study conducted in June showed that ACReSAL interventions were contributing to poverty reduction in Nigeria, with the project increasing beneficiaries’ income by 41 percent.
She called for an assessment of the institution’s revenue before and after the intervention, as well as documentation of the benefits accruing to students, researchers and members of the host communities.
In his remarks, Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, commended the World Bank and ACReSAL for supporting the rehabilitation of the facility.
Governor Bala recalled that the greenhouse was originally established during the administration of former Governor Ahmed Adamu Mu’azu and commissioned by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, but later became dilapidated.
He said the renewed facility should be sustained and replicated across the state’s senatorial zones to promote agricultural research, skills development and self-reliance among young people.
The Governor also directed relevant state ministries, including Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources, to work towards ensuring the sustainability and accountability of the facility.
Bala Mohammed expressed appreciation to the World Bank, the Federal Government, ACReSAL and other stakeholders for their support towards agricultural development in Bauchi State.