The Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, has shown eagerness for his administration to collaborate with the State of Israel on matters concerning agriculture and the security of the nation’s capital.
Wike made this declaration during a courtesy call by the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Michael Freeman, at the minister’s office in Abuja on Tuesday.
Wike pointed out that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) offers favorable conditions for agriculture, and the FCT Administration (FCTA) has plans to establish farms in the region, aiming to provide meaningful employment opportunities for young people.
He assured the ambassador that the FCTA remains committed to creating a conducive environment for legitimate business ventures in the FCT.
Regarding security, Wike acknowledged that, like other major cities worldwide, the FCT faces its share of security challenges. He expressed the FCT’s readiness to collaborate with the State of Israel to enhance the security situation.
Wike said, “Yes, we have had one or two setbacks in terms of security threats, but like you know, security issues are everywhere, and we are working very hard to see that we nip in the bud, anything that will give us any negative publicity.”
“You know all over the world, nobody can say you can have one hundred percent security, you know it’s not possible. But we will try as much as we can, anywhere we can collaborate and work together to help us reduce some level of insecurity in the city. But be assured that we are willing to work.”
The minister commented on a recent newspaper article listing embassies, high commissions, and government agencies that were delinquent in their ground rent payments. He emphasized that the government’s actions were not intended to single out any particular organization, but rather to increase the FCT’s internally generated revenue.
He said “We are also trying to enhance our internally generated revenue to be able to cater for the developmental needs of our people. So, it is not to embarrass any embassy or commission but rather to draw the attention that this has not been complied with.”
In his statement, Freeman pledged that the Israeli embassy is dedicated to adhering to existing rules and regulations in the FCT. He also updated the minister on an ongoing initiative aimed at building the capacities of young Nigerian entrepreneurs and innovators from various regions of the country.”
“We have a six-month programme where we take young Nigerian entrepreneurs and innovators from across the country. We bring them deliberately to Abuja because we say this is the capital, to help train them and give them mentorship from Israel and from local Nigerians, to help them to build their company, to create jobs, to create work and afterwards, we give them the opportunity for funding and finance to grow them”, he said