ABUJA – National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) is set to establish an integrated farm estate on 700 hectares of land in Okwuha Obayin community, in Ajaokuta Local Government Area of the State
The farm would focus mainly on livestock sub-sector and pasture production, as it is designed to have a cropping area with an irrigation farming system in place to enable farmers to engage in all-year-round food production.
Prince Paul Ikonne, Executive Secretary/ Chief Executive Officer of NALDA, stated this at the inspection of the project site in Kogi State while in a meeting with the Chief of Staff to the State Governor, Ajaokuta Local Government Chairman, the village head and owners of the hectares of land donated to NALDA.
Ikonne revealed that about 3,000 youths and women would be engaged in the integrated farm estate on completion, adding that school, clinic(including veterinary clinic), mini market, crop farming, processing and animal husbandry, residential areas would be established in the farm estate.
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Speaking about the development of the farm estate, Ikonne assured that the host community would benefit immensely from the project.
According to him, “These families that are donating the lands, the Federal Government is developing the land for you.
“What we are bringing belongs to you and what it means is that all the youths and women within your village would be engaged in this place.
“It is very simple, it is called integrated farm estate, where you will have both school, clinic, crop section, processing section, animal husbandry sections and then we would also have a mini market, residential area and this place would be purely known for meat processing, cow and goat rearing ”
He said the farm is mapped out in a way that there would be no friction between farmers and herders, as the pasture area on the farm would cater for the feed needs of the animals on the farm.
Ikonne while assuring the community of President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to alleviating poverty in the country, said Mr. President intends to make millionaires out of Nigerian youths in the rural areas through agriculture.
He added that the land clearing would commence immediately and the first section of the farm estate would be commissioned by December 2021.
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While on a courtesy visit to Kogi State Governor, Ikonne said he was in the State to fulfil Mr. President’s directive to establish integrated farm estates in 109 senatorial zones across the country in a bid to create jobs for the youths and women in the rural areas.
He described the State as the gateway to most regions of the country, adding that the farm estate would be strategic.
He told the governor: “You have done a lot in saving the country being a gateway to a lot of States, with this project coming to the State.
“We are very much optimistic that a lot would be achieved, food security would be achieved, employment would be achieved, solving the problem between herdsmen and farmers and Nigeria would be on auto-drive to achieving food security,” he said.
Ikonne noted that NALDA was ready to partner with Kogi State Government to ensure that the project becomes a huge success.
Responding, Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello while receiving the NALDA team, said his government has been able to stabilise and sustain peace and security in the State.
He noted that herders fleeing different parts of the country migrate to the State and live peacefully with the residents.
“Here, we have made available 700 hectares of land in just one local government to take care of the first phase of this programme in Kogi State
“We as a State have been able to stabilise security, peace and tranquillity that are much needed in Nigeria today and we have been able to sustain it, a situation where almost all the herders that are having issues at one point or the other in the southern part of the country would migrate to Kogi state and will be mingling, living and co-habiting with our farmers without conflicts means it takes a lot from us as a State,” he said.
According to the governor, Kogi state serves as a shock absorber for the country, as it is always ready to receive people from every part of the country in crisis situations, adding that the establishment of integrated farm estates in all the three senatorial zones in the State would create a new lease of life for the residents.
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Bello who commended President Muhammadu Buhari and NALDA management for the noble initiative said Kogi would be a model for other states in the country.
Following President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive to NALDA to establish farm estates in all 109 Senatorial zones across the country to empower and develop rural dwellers through agriculture, NALDA has since begun the establishment of farm estates in different parts of the country with one already commissioned in Katsina State recently.
Source: Independent
