Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project (KSADP) funded by the Islamic Development Bank (ISDB) and the Lives and Livelihood Fund (LLF) has awarded contracts worth the sum of N3.962 billion for the construction of 60 milk collection centres across Kano State.
This was disclosed to newsmen yesterday in Kano by the project communications specialist, Ameen Yassar.
The contracts, in four lots, were awarded to four indigenous companies with a completion period of 12 months for each project.
Each milk collection centre (MCC) will have a borehole equipped with a solar-powered pump and a 20,000-litre overhead tank; feed, drugs store managed by a community appointee and up to 10 fodder banks in its environs.
In addition, every MCC will have a 250-litre tank cooled by solar power and a milk testing bench with appropriate reagents/equipment as well as provision of milk collection cans.
Shortly after awarding the contracts, supervised by the Kano State Ministry of Justice, the State Project Coordinator, Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project, Malam Ibrahim Garba Muhammad, stated that “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.
Malam Ibrahim charged the companies awarded the contracts to execute durable projects within the agreed time frame, to justify the confidence reposed in them.
It could be recalled that in September, 2022, Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project awarded a contract for the construction of 40 milk collection centres in Kano, as part of moves to take maximum advantage of the state’s huge dairy potential.
