Zulum ferries Lake Chad to boost border trade

[FILES] Zulum
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, yesterday, ferried 20 kilometres of the Lake Chad waters to boost border trade with Chad, Niger and Cameroon.

According to him, the trans-border trade items include agricultural products and household goods.

Zulum unveiled the border trade in Baga, while assessing the safety of the shores of Lake Chad for investors to harness agricultural, livestock and mineral resources.

He disclosed that the Lake Chad Basin is the largest in Africa, comprising Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger and Chad, with a total population of 262 million.

On the economic potential of Baga, he said: “Today, we are here to see how we can support large-scale farming. The fishing town was ravaged by Boko Haram terrorists and people were resettled in the last two or three years.”

“So, to provide various means of livelihood to the people, we have to exploit the economic potential of the Lake Chad and Basin. Our first move is to see how we can support the Nigerian Army and the Navy to clear the waterways of any threat.”

The governor stated that the troops could ease commuting by boat from Baga to Chad for trans-border trade and agricultural and livestock production.

Beside the border trade, Zulum approved the construction of a big Higher Islamic College, Baga in Kukawa Local Council.

He further disclosed that the 2,000 capacity College would provide traditional Islamic education with literacy, numeracy and vocational skills.

“The essence of the High Islamic College was to streamline the non-formal education into the formal education system,” he said.

At Baga Central Primary School, Zulum conducted an aptitude test for teachers to assess their eligibility and competence to teach pupils.

Before leaving Baga, Zulum visited Baga Central Primary School where he had organised impromptu aptitude tests for teachers.

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