The Kano State Agro-pastoral Development Project says it will spend about N3.9bn on the construction of 60 milk collection centres across the state.
The Project Communication Specialist in charge of the project, Ameen Yassar, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
Yassar said the project was being funded by the Islamic Development Bank and the Lives and Livelihood Funds, adding that the initiative was aimed at enhancing the provision of quality and safe milk, by putting in place a cold chain.
He said the contracts, in four lots, were awarded to four indigenous companies with a completion period of 12 months.
He explained that each milk collection centre would have a borehole equipped with a solar-powered pump and a 20,000-litre overhead tank, an input store managed by a community appointee and up to 10 fodder banks in its environs.
In addition, every centre would have a 250-litre tank cooled by solar power and a milk testing bench with appropriate reagents/equipment as well as milk collection cans.
According to the Project Coordinator, Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project, Mallam Ibrahim Muhammad, “the investment is unprecedented in Nigeria and will bridge the gap between pastoralists and the dairy industry.”
“One of the major problems of the dairy industry is supply inadequacy and poor quality of the milk.
“This MCC project, therefore, aims to ensure provision of quality and safe milk by putting in place a cold chain. This will guarantee regular sales and income for the pastoralists,” he stated.
Ibrahim charged the companies awarded the contracts to execute durable projects within the agreed time frame, to justify the confidence reposed in them.
