The Nigerian government through the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has commissioned 120 housing units and an empowerment centre for farmers in Borno State.
The project which is located in Dustman community, Zawiya Village, Borno State, has a clinic, a school for children of farmers, a worship centre, Solar powered boreholes and access roads.
The facility is segmented has fish ponds, Poultry houses, goats pens in its production area, raffia and an already finished empowerment centre where women and youths would undergo training.
The beneficiaries of the project were drawn from the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP’s) camp in the state.
Prince Paul Ikonne, the Executive Secretary of NALDA, while launching the facility with the Governor of Borno State Professor Babagana Zulum in Maiduguri, explained that the initiative was to encourage young Nigerians to venture into agriculture.
“Today, we commissioned 120 housing unit built for farmers in Borno. The aim is to give farmers a good accommodation.
“The other centre is the agriculture empowerment centre where youth and women would be trained within 3 to 4 months.
“Thereafter, they will be given a startup packs to enable them do agric business on their own. All these is geared towards reducing unemployment and achieving food security. The empowerment centres are new project of NALDA.”
Ikonne explained that NALDA was already in touch with existent farmers who would be supported with inputs and, in turn, train budding agriculturists.
The NALDA ES further pointed out that each state would benefit from the scheme while calling on state governments to utilise the scheme as a means to create jobs for the teeming population.
“Currently, we have partnership with some individual farmers that have provided their farmlands and space for us to activate the empowerment centres.
“Like in Osun, we have a farmer whose farm is in good shape and up and running. All NALDA needs to do is to upgrade it to the level of being an empowerment centre.
“We also have a farm in Nasarawa State. A private farmer also made available his farmland. That is also 80 to 90% ready for commissioning.
Commenting on NALDA’s empowerment centres, Ikonne revealed that the centres would have fishery poultry, animal husbandry and raffia grass field all aimed at job creation.
“The importance of these agriculture empowerment centres is to create job opportunities and also encourage young Nigerians to go into agriculture.
“We will be more delighted to have it done with corporate or individuals so that it will be anchored around them and the farm will be managed by them while we empower the youth from the proceeds that come from there.”
Furthermore he noted that the farmers would be recruited in trenches, saying “we are looking at 250,000 young Nigerians across the country, to empower them in different field in the first phase. It is going to be a continuous phase.”
On his part, Professor Zulum commended Ikonne for choosing Borno to execute such Projects, noting that it will contribute to the economic development of the state.
“Let me use this opportunity to commend the hardworking Executive Secretary of NALDA for all his initiatives that are geared Towards creating employment and means of livelihood for the people,”
Zulum said.
The Borno Governor said he was ready to provide lands for investors who are interested in agriculture.
He noted the initiative would assist mostly returning Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who have been battered by bandits and terrorists over the years.
