NAHCON To Get $243,823 Grants as FG Signs $523,823 Technical Assistant Agreement With Islamic Devt Bank

Federal government has signed N185,957,165 million technical assistant agreement grant with the Islamic Development Bank group in Marrakesh, Morocco - According to minister of finance, Zainab Ahmed, the agreement grants would be used to address capacity building and equipment, as well as logistics upgrade in the Hajj commission - Ahmed said National Hajj Commission of Nigeria would get $243,823.0 while the federal ministry of industry, Trade and Investment would receive $280,000.

The minister of finance, Zainab Ahmed, said Nigeria has signed a $523,823 (N185,957,165 million) technical assistant agreement grant with the Islamic Development Bank (ISDB) group in Marrakesh, Morocco. Channels TV reports that Ahmed made this known on Sunday, April 7, in a statement by her special adviser on media and communications, Paul Abechi. The statement read that the minister signed the agreement on behalf of the Nigerian government while and president of the ISDB group, Bandar Hajjar, signed on behalf of the group.

The signing took place during the 44th ISDB Group Annual Meeting held in Marrakesh, with the theme, ‘Transformation In A Fast-Changing World: The Road To SDGs’. Ahmed said the agreement grants would be used to address capacity building and equipment, as well as logistics upgrade in the Hajj commission.

She added that it was also aimed at the improvement of cotton, textile and garment value chain in the federal ministry of industry, trade and investment. The minister revealed that the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) would get $243,823.0, while the federal ministry of industry, Trade and Investment would receive $280,000.

According to him, “The Technical Assistant Agreement Grant of $243,823.0 to the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria is for capacity building/equipment and logistics upgrade. “TA grant of $280,000 to the federal ministry of industry trade and investment is for the improvement of cotton, textile and garment value chain.” Ahmed told participants at the conference that the governments at the state level in Nigeria were doing their best to boost agriculture and food production.

She said: “State governments in Nigeria are adopting cluster farming which has eased access to funds by farmers, increased growth and allows access to facilities without collateral.”

 Legit.ng previously reported that the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria disclosed that the reforms that President Buhari’s administration embarked upon saved Nigerian pilgrims over N90 billion between 2015 and 2018. NAHCON’s spokesperson, Fatima Sanda Usara, made this known during an interactive session with newsmen in Abuja. Usara stated that the hajj operations, during the previous administration, enmeshed in corrupt practices, which she said, included BTA dollar fraud, fraud in dollar concession and profiteering in the name of government sponsorship.

Culled from Legit.ng