One Year Scorecard: Nalda Reviving Agribusiness In Rural Nigeria

Ene Okwanihe, Abuja

One year after its reactivation by President Muhammadu Buhari in June of 2020, The National Agricultural Land Development Authority NALDA has set the ball rolling by establishing its presence in rural Nigeria with different agricultural activities which aims at promoting youth/women empowerment, agribusiness and rural agricultural development.

NALDA was reactivated with the clear mandate to create jobs for the teeming Nigerian youth and also empower rural women through agriculture across the seven hundred and seventy-four local government areas in the country.

The Authority hits the ground running with the commencement of its Animal Husbandry project by distributing Rabbit and Goat to youths in the Southern and northern parts of the country aimed at empowering the youths and also generating organic fertilizers that can boost output of farm produce.

NALDA also commenced the recovery of its abandoned lands in states across the country, flagged off dry season irrigation farming in some northern states, trained young graduates in Soil testing technologies and empowered them with free testing kits to boost their income and quality of food production and most recently commenced the establishment of integrated farm estate across the country.

The farm estates are to be established in the 109 Senatorial zones in the country with the project already at various levels of completion in the pilot states of Katsina state at 80% and Borno state at 30% completion.

The integrated farm estate would comprise different agricultural activities, commodity market, residential areas, access roads, water and school schools.

At a media briefing to present the Authority’s one year scorecard, the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the NALDA Prince Paul Ikonne said the NALDA Integrated Farm Estates has the capacity to empower over a thousand, five hundred youth in agribusiness.

“NALDA has initiated a program called NALDA Integrated Farms to be established in the 109 Senatorial Districts across the country and we have reached out to the leadership of the Senate for Senators to facilitate land donation with the State governments”

“This program is under the NYFS and each integrated farm is expected to engage at least 1,500 farmers. The integrated farm estate will have poultry pens, goat pens, rabbit pens, fish ponds, crop farming areas, processing and packaging plants, storage, clinics, residential area, school, training centres as well as an administrative facility”

“The project has since started in Ogun, Anambra, Ekiti, Imo and Ebonyi States with land clearing ongoing while in Katsina and Borno States the project is 80% and 30% to completion, respectively”

Prince Ikonne noted that the effect of the farm estate would be like that of a double edged sword because when they are up and running it would address the issue of food security and unemployment.

“You will agree with me that by the time we realize the NALDA integrated farm estates in 109 senatorial districts in the country, we will not only achieve food security, but will reduce unemployment drastically”

RABBIT FARMS YIELDING ORGANIC FERTILISER

The NALDA boss while giving an update on the Rabbit farm said the Authority has collected urine and droppings from the farms and they are being utilized in farms in the country.

“This program is a huge success as we have harvested over 30,000 litres of rabbit urine and 1,000kg of rabbit droppings, which are being used as fertilizer having subjected it to lab analysis and the rabbit farmers are making income from this”

ABANDONED LAND RECOVERY

Part of NALDA’s mandate is the recovery of its abandoned farm lands across the country, on this the NALDA boss said so far lands have been recovered in 21 states in the country.

“After Mr. President’s directive on recovery of NALDA abandoned farm estates across the country, we embarked on this vigorously and as at today, we have identified and recovered NALDA farm estates in the following States; Gombe, Borno, Adamawa, Taraba, Niger, Kebbi, Oyo, Imo, Katsina, Lagos, Ekiti, Delta, Bauchi, Yobe, Kaduna, Benue, Kogi, Osun, Anambra, Akwa Ibom and Abia States. We have started reactivating them in phases”

SUSTAINABLE JOB CREATION

In order to achieve food security under the National Young Farmers’ Scheme (NYFS), which President Muhammadu Buhari launched in November 2020, NALDA introduced the training and empowerment of young graduates through the initiative of Soil Doctors and Extension Service Providers.

The initiative which has since commenced in Borno and Jigawa states with 500 soil doctors already trained, plans to empower 30,000 soil Doctors across the country.

According to Ikonne “The essence of this is to equip young graduates with agriculture or science backgrounds with the knowledge of extension services, which include soil testing and analysis and they are being given soil-testing kits in order for them to earn a living while ensuring our farmers are being equipped with best agricultural practices for greater output. This program is in partnership with the State Governments”

Still on job creation NALDA commenced the establishment of fish villages to engage rural women in fish production and packaging in some pilot States of Borno and Abia states.

In Borno state, fish villages have been constructed in 10 locations out of the 50 locations provided by the Borno State Government to engage 2,200 women. While in Abia the fish village in one location is at 40% completion level.

Ikonne noted that “The benefit of engaging our rural women into fish farming and production is not only for local consumption but also for export in order to earn foreign currency”

Prince Ikonne while appreciating the President’s support added that all the achievements by the Authority were made possible by President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to achieve food security and create employment opportunities in Nigeria.