FG Targets 500,000 Hectares, Offers 40 Institutions N2bn Each For Farming

The Federal Government says it is targeting over 500,000 hectares of underutilised land in tertiary institutions for commercial agriculture as 40 institutions prepare to access up to N2bn each under the Renewed Hope Tertiary Agricultural and Entrepreneurship Programme.

The 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 on the implementation of the programme.

Alausa said the initiative is part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on food security and is designed to convert dormant institutional farmlands into productive agricultural hubs for commercial production, research and enterprise development.

He explained that the programme seeks to address years of underutilisation of vast lands owned by universities, polytechnics and colleges of education by providing financing, machinery, technical support and market linkages.

According to the Minister, each participating institution is expected to provide about 1,000 hectares of land, although those with smaller holdings can still qualify based on the viability of their business proposals.

Under the arrangement, each institution will set up a limited liability company that will interface with the Bank of Agriculture.

The bank will provide between N1 billion and N2 billion per institution to support production and agricultural inputs.

Alausa noted that the new programme builds on earlier interventions by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), which had approved N1bn and N2bn for selected institutions, while the Federal Ministry of Education has also earmarked N20bn in its capital budget to support 20 institutions under the agricultural initiative.

On mechanisation, he said beneficiary institutions will get 10 tractors each at highly subsidised rates under the federal government’s agricultural mechanisation programme, in addition to improved seedlings, farm implements, irrigation facilities, water pumps, fertilisers and technical expertise.

To ensure sustainability, Alausa said arrangements are being made with produce aggregators to off-take harvested crops, while measures will be adopted to reduce post-harvest losses.

He added that the next phase of the programme will focus on processing and agro-allied value chain development.

He said beyond food production, the programme will create jobs for students, unemployed graduates, alumni, staff and host communities, who will participate in commercial farming under the supervision of lecturers and experts, thereby promoting practical learning and entrepreneurship.

The Minister projected that the initiative could attract investments running into trillions of naira in the coming years and reposition tertiary institutions as centres of agricultural innovation and revenue generation rather than depending solely on government subventions.

Alausa assured that the ministry will continue to work with the bank, relevant agencies and the institutions to ensure successful implementation and delivery of the Renewed Hope Agenda through increased agricultural productivity, youth empowerment and sustainable economic opportunities.

Speaking at the meeting, the Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof. Adamu Ahmed, described the programme as timely.

He said it will help the university leverage its existing agricultural research institutions, including the Institute of Agricultural Research (NAERLS) and the Faculty of Agriculture, to scale up from research to commercial production.

Also, the Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Dr Chioma Irene Awuzie, commended Tinubu and the Minister for the initiative, noting that it will enable the polytechnic to put its available land into productive use through mechanised farming.

On his part, the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture, Ayo Sotinrin, said the bank will provide sustainable financing and market linkages to help commercialise research output from the institutions and create opportunities for students and graduates, while enabling universities to contribute to national food supply and earn revenue from their investments.