Atiku breaks new ground with animal feed factory in Abuja

The plan by the Buhari administration to revive the nation’s economy through agriculture and agro-allied industries is set to receive a major boost on Saturday, the 21st of May, 2016 when the foundation laying ceremony of an animal feed factory takes place in Abuja.

The factory, Rico Gardo, when operational will produce animal feeds of various types including for cattle, small ruminants, horse and poultry.

Rico Gardo already produces animal feed in its factory in Numan, Adamawa State.

The feed company to be sited at Idu Industrial District in the Federal Capital Territory would provide thousands of direct and indirect jobs as well as conserve scarce foreign exchange for the country by providing high quality made-in-Nigeria animal feed for the nation’s livestock sector.

Based on the success and impact of the Numan factory, industry analysts and livestock experts say that the Abuja factory when operational would play a significant role in providing feed for millions of cattle that presently roam the country in search of pasture.

Rico Gado Nutrition Nigeria is a private Limited Liability company. The company was incorporated in 2013 as a joint venture agreement between GeseDerdirabe Holdings of Yola Adamawa State, Nigeria, owned by businessman and philanthropist, Atiku Abubakar, a former Nigerian Vice President and Rico GadoNutracao S.A. The group has many years of experience in livestock feeds production and distribution throughout Europe and recently Middle East (Egypt and Saudi Arabia).

The factory in Numan is the first of its kind in Northern Nigeria and it was commissioned in Adamawa State on the 31st of January 2015. Built with state-of-the-art technology in livestock feeds milling, it has the capacity to produce 50,000 metric tonnes of assorted animal feeds annually and would create a network of animal feeds supply. At present, the factory addresses the dire need for animal food supplement in Adamawa State, the entire North East geo-political region of Nigeria, and beyond.

Abundant animal feed, according to analysts will make possible the plan of the Federal Government to limit and control the movement of herdsmen and their cattle through the provision of ranches in selected locations across the country.