The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has approached the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), seeking its backing to access the Natural Resources Development Fund (NRDF), a special fund allocated monthly from the Federation Account to promote economic diversification through agriculture, solid minerals, and tourism.
This is conveyed in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja, by Maryam Umar Yusuf, RMAFC’s Head, Information and Public Relations, on Friday.
According to the statement, RMAFC recently received a delegation from the Federal Capital Territory who came to make a presentation to the Fiscal and Efficiency and Budget Committee as a prerequisite to access funds from the NRDF.
Maryam Yusuf, said the delegation led by Acting Chairman of the FCT-IRS Mr. Michael Ango, made the presentation to the RMAFC Fiscal Efficiency and Budget Committee as a prerequisite for accessing funds from the NRDF to support infrastructural development in the FCT.
According to Yusuf, the projects Proposed by FCT includ: “Construction, rehabilitation, and desilting of dams (Lower Usuma, Pedan, Jabi Lake, Kilankwa) to enable year-round farming; Installation of solar-powered irrigation systems to support dry season farming and reduce fossil fuel use; Establishment of six mechanization service centers with tractors and harvesters to boost smallholder farming; Provision of crop-specific harvesting and storage technologies to reduce post-harvest losses; Modernization of grain and cattle markets, improvement of animal breeding and veterinary services; and Development of tourism and exploration of solid mineral resources in the FCT.
Responding on behalf of RMAFC, Ambassador Desmond Akawor, emphasized a rigorous process involving formal presentations, physical assessments, and recommendations before fund approval by the President.
He praised the FCT Minister, His Excellency Nyesome Wike, for his innovative approaches, noting that it aligned with Nigeria’s economic diversification agenda under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, reaffirming RMAFC’s commitment to fiscal responsibility, accountability, and due diligence in evaluating the funding request.
