The federal government of Nigeria has commissioned a 200,000 capacity yam storage facility in Benue state. The commissioning was done virtually by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.
The facility, located at the Zaki Biam International Yam Market, is part of the National MSMEs Shared Facility Scheme, being implemented by the federal government under the National MSMEs Clinics.The shared facility project, an initiative of the National MSMEs Clinics, is aimed at providing for the needs of businesses under a production cluster arrangement.
Osinbajo who announced this on his Instagram page stated “The Zaki Biam international market is probably the biggest yam market in the world. It accounts for sales of possibly 70% of yams cultivated in the country. Over 200 trucks loading 2 million tubers of yams weekly. .
However the market has had very little storage capacity and its infrastructural facilities are way behind its capacity and the size of commerce that goes on there daily.
It was therefore my singular honour earlier today, to commission virtually a 200,000 capacity yam storage facility at Zaki Biam, Benue State, with additional features such as re-construction of 660 units of stalls/sheds, construction of a Police/ Market Administrative Building and the construction of 8 units of Public Toilets. . There is also the provision of a Solar-Powered Borehole with an overhead tank and the construction of internal roads with drainage and the installation of Solar Street lights”.
The facility will cater for the needs of smallholder farmers and MSMEs who hitherto lost huge revenues due to lack of access to adequate storage facilities. The initiative is seen as one of the ways the federal government is encouraging small business owners in the country.
