Agric ministry to splash N300m on strategic communication

This proposal is contained in the 2014 Appropriation Bill presented on December 19 to the two chambers of the National Assembly by the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on behalf of President Goodluck Jonathan.According to the budget proposal, strategic communication is one of the numerous newly introduced projects in […]

This proposal is contained in the 2014 Appropriation Bill presented on December 19 to the two chambers of the National Assembly by the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on behalf of President Goodluck Jonathan.
According to the budget proposal, strategic communication is one of the numerous newly introduced projects in the Ministry of Agriculture.
The new appropriation bill also shows that the agriculture ministry is going to spend N1.5 billion on the construction/provision of roads.
All these are apart from N11.049 billion set aside for the construction/provision of agricultural facilities and another N600 million for the construction/provision of water facilities.
The ministry is also proposing to spend N700 million on research and development as well as N325.5 million on monitoring and evaluation.
The ministry has a sum of N36.260 billion total allocation out of which N26.266 billion is for total capital and N7.994 for total recurrent.
Aside the N20.667 million earmarked for fuel and lubricants, the ministry has also proposed N51.470 million for miscellaneous comprising refreshment and meals, N3.053 million; honorarium and sitting allowance, N3.173 million; publicity and advertisements, N4.704 million; medical expenses, N5.275 million; postages and courier services, N1.472 million; welfare packages, N30.456 million; subscription to professional bodies, N474,750 million; and sporting activities, N2.859 million.
The details of the budget proposal showed the ministry has  introduced such new projects as: mechanisation “GES” for subsidised mechanised services, N1 billion; land clearing and other infrastructure development at the stable crop processing zones, N700 million; establishment of marketing and trade development corporations, N600 million; northern guinea savannah transformation fund, N500 million; price stabilisation/buy back/guarantee minimum price, N750 million; farmers group and co-operatives transformation, N250 million; conclusion of feasibility study and take-off of halal certified meat processing and packaging centres, N200 million; supply of chains management services, N375 million.
Also proposed for the ministry as new projects are: African fertilizer financing facilities, N320 million; fund for agricultural finance in Nigeria, N320 million; technology platforms management and deployment, N450 million; seed venture capital fund, N200 million; start-up pack for 3500 youths in 10 value chains, N122.5 million; mentoring of 3,000 youths by commercial farmers, N20 million; post training media documentaries/publications, N26 million; agricultural transformation council, N250 million; procurement of medium infra red dry chemical soil test equipment, N40 million; decentralised soil testing facility, N40 million; climate adaptation, N40 million; progis/land use management technology, N50 million; among others.