The African Development Bank (AfDB) has revealed plans to invest $250 million in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) water and sanitation integrated project to improve water supply and sanitation in the satellite towns.
The Senior Director of AfDB, Mr. Ebrima Faal, made the revelation in Abuja when he led a six-man delegation on a courtesy visit to the FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu.
Also, Faal disclosed that AfDB also intends to invest in the development of Abuja Technology Village. He said a number of studies are ongoing in various components of the integrated project, including ICT, fashion and infrastructural development.
He expressed satisfaction that over 20,000 hectare of land has been made available for the development of the Special Agro-industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) for job creation and poverty reduction in the federal capital, stressing that the bank will work with co-financiers to achieve the objectives.
“Giving the nature of the budget in both the water and sanitation projects, we are thinking of working together with the Climate Funds, the Great Climate Funds, to come in as co-financiers,” he said.
He commended the FCT Administration for providing the land where the corporate office of the bank was built, describing the gesture as a fruitful partnership.
In her response, the FCT Minister of State, Aliyu, assured the delegation that the administration would key into the project and any other projects that would be beneficial to the residents of the territory, adding that integrated farming programme in the satellite towns will be pursued vigorously by the administration.
According to her, “I know that we are very keen to work with you, and I have listened to you very carefully to elaborate on some of your projects. We have been working assiduously on the Special Agro-industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ), and it might interest you to know that a task team is already constituted, and besides that, expression of interest is ready for submission.
“If you look at it primarily for all that you have outlined today, the most beneficial for the people of the FCT, especially those in urban areas or the satellite towns, is the integrated farming programme or urban agriculture. We have strategic plans and we are ready to work with you.”
NAN