FG targets 500,000 hectares of institutional farmland to boost food security, create jobs

The Federal Government has unveiled plans to provide up to ₦2 billion in agricultural financing to each of 40 selected tertiary institutions as part of efforts to boost food production, promote agricultural entrepreneurship and create employment opportunities for Nigerian youths.

The initiative, known as the Renewed Hope Tertiary Agricultural and Entrepreneurship Programme, will mobilise more than 500,000 hectares of underutilised land across universities, polytechnics and colleges of education for commercial agricultural production.

Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this during a meeting with heads of the 40 beneficiary institutions and the management of the Bank of Agriculture, where modalities for implementing the programme were discussed.

Alausa explained that the initiative was designed to transform idle institutional lands into commercially viable agricultural hubs through access to financing, modern farm machinery, improved seedlings, irrigation facilities and technical expertise.

Under the arrangement, participating institutions will establish limited liability companies to partner with the Bank of Agriculture, which is expected to provide between ₦1 billion and ₦2 billion in financing to each institution for agricultural production and related activities.

The Minister said participating institutions are expected to provide approximately 1,000 hectares of land each, although institutions with smaller landholdings could also benefit, subject to the viability of their business proposals.

He noted that the programme was part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly its commitment to strengthening national food security and expanding economic opportunities.

Alausa further disclosed that the initiative would complement existing Federal Government interventions through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), which had approved agricultural funding support of ₦1 billion for some institutions and ₦2 billion for others.

He added that the Federal Ministry of Education had also made provision for ₦20 billion in its capital budget to support 20 tertiary institutions under the agricultural development initiative.

On mechanisation, the Minister said each participating institution would have access to 10 tractors at significantly reduced costs through the government’s agricultural mechanisation programme.

Other components of the support package include farm implements, irrigation equipment, water pumps, fertilisers, improved seedlings and technical assistance to ensure efficient and sustainable agricultural operations.

To address market access challenges, he said arrangements would be made with produce aggregators to purchase harvested crops, while appropriate measures would be introduced to reduce post-harvest losses.

According to him, the programme will extend beyond primary agricultural production to include processing and other agro-allied activities as subsequent phases, thereby establishing a comprehensive agricultural value chain.

The Minister said the initiative would also provide employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for students, unemployed graduates, alumni, academic and non-academic staff, as well as members of host communities.

He explained that students would gain practical agricultural experience under the supervision of lecturers and agricultural experts, while participants would have opportunities to benefit economically from the commercial activities of the farms.

Alausa projected that the programme could attract investments running into trillions of naira in the coming years, while repositioning tertiary institutions as centres of agricultural innovation, research, commercial production and enterprise development.

Speaking on behalf of the participating institutions, the Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Professor Adamu Ahmed, described the initiative as a timely intervention that would help translate the institution’s agricultural research capacity into commercial production.

He identified the university’s Institute of Agricultural Research, National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services and Faculty of Agriculture as existing structures that could support the successful implementation of the programme.

Similarly, the Rector of Federal Polytechnic Oko, Dr Chioma Irene Awuzie, commended President Tinubu and the Minister of Education, saying the initiative would enable the institution to maximise its available land through mechanised farming and improved agricultural production.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank of Agriculture, Ayo Sotinrin, said the bank would provide sustainable financing and market linkages to participating institutions to unlock their agricultural potential.

He noted that the partnership would also support the commercialisation of agricultural research, improve productivity and enable tertiary institutions to contribute significantly to national food supply while generating revenue.

Alausa assured that the Ministry would work closely with the Bank of Agriculture, relevant government agencies and participating institutions to ensure effective implementation and achievement of the programme’s objectives.

He said the ultimate goal was to make Nigerian tertiary institutions major contributors to agricultural transformation, youth employment, economic growth and national food security.