The Federal Executive Council has approved the concession of the Kashimbila Integrated Cargo/Agro-Allied Airport in Taraba state under a Public Private Partnership arrangement.
Approved under the regulatory guidance of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, the project cuts across agriculture, water resources, and aviation sectors.
A statement issued on Friday by the Acting Head of Media and Publicity, Ifeanyi Nwoko, said the project features the upgrade of an airstrip in Kashimbilla to a Cargo/Agro-Allied Airport.
It also has a combination of over 3,000 hectares of farmland, fish farming facilities and a ranch for livestock farming.
Giving insights into the project, the Director General of the ICRC, Jobson Ewalefoh, thanked President Bola Tinubu for the speedy approval he gave to the project, whose facilities increase Nigeria’s potential to export agricultural products.
“The processes for this project were stated and completed in six months in fulfilment of the charge given to me by His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to accelerate PPP projects’ procurement.
“The Kashimbila project includes the concession of over 3,000 hectares of farmland for irrigation farming, the upgrade of the airport for agro-cargo services, and the development of an aerotropolis and Free Trade Zone with business parks, logistics hubs, and residential areas.
“It is located in Taraba State, Nigeria and aims to enhance agricultural logistics, improve market access, and stimulate economic development,” the statement quoting the DG read.
Reeling out the impact of the Kashimbila project, Ewalefoh said that the concession will, among other things, boost agricultural productivity by enabling year-round irrigation farming, create employment opportunities, attract investment in agribusiness and stimulate local and national economies through trade and exports.
He said that with the Kashimbilla project, regional integration will be enhanced as Taraba state will be connected to national and international markets, facilitating trade, and thousands of direct and indirect jobs will be created.
Ewalefoh disclosed that the project is expected to generate N4.1tn revenue from multiple sources during the concession period.
The DG thanked the relevant ministries for their efforts in ensuring the success of the inter-agency collaboration to achieve the renewed hope agenda of the President.