The Ruga scheme is taking off in Zamfara State on Tuesday after Governor Bello Matawalle on Saturday gave the nod for the immediate commencement of construction work on Ruga settlements in the state.
The governor issued the directive after receiving the new Ruga master plan from the project consultant, Mr. Emmanuel Ozigi.
The project, according to him, will be located in the three senatorial districts of the state and will be fully and jointly funded by the state government and the 14 local government councils of the state.
He said it was aimed at “showcasing to the world that the peace process embarked by this administration is working “ and “also to show the appreciation of the state government to the Fulani and its commitment to meeting the yearnings of the Fulani.
He added: “The Ruga project will not only be beneficial to the Fulani but all citizens of the state as the derivable benefits are enormous and a way of boosting the economy of the state and its citizens.”
The governor said that already, the required funds for the scheme had been set aside.
He reiterated his earlier directive on contractors to source for all their materials and manpower locally “so that wealth can go round.”
Earlier, the project consultant who presented the master plan, said the project would include access roads, landscaping, grazing reserves, primary and secondary schools.
Others are Islamiyya schools, Mosques, hospitals, veterinaries, abattoir, social centers, dams and cemeteries.
He said that derivable benefits of the project would also involve empowerment through shops and markets, milk, hides and skin production for export, police station and banks.