An Agency of the Federal Government, the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) and the Niger State Government have taken a significant step towards improving food security and enhancing agricultural productivity in Nigeria.
They signed a co-financing agreement worth N5 billion to fund a large-scale mixed cropping initiative for rice and maize production across 4,000 hectares in Niger State
This partnership aims at producing over 20,000 tons of food, impacKing at least 40,000 lives and creating employment opportunities for smallholder farmers and other communities.
The project will be co-funded equally by NADF and the Niger State Government, with each partner providing N2.5 billion.
Muhammed Abu Ibrahim, Executive Secretary of NADF and Umar Mohammed Bago, Governor of Niger State as well as the Managing Director of Niger State Foods Company and other key stakeholders were in attendance at the landmark event.
The visibly elated NADF Boss, Abu Ibrahim, highlighted the strategic importance of the partnership.
“Today’s event remains very historic in our effort to boost agriculture through joint funding of large hectares of land to produce food and improve food security for the benefits of our people in line with our mandate. We are indeed excited to witness the first of agriculture financing agreements with Niger State and the Niger Foods Limited”, he said.
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While enumerating the strategic importance of the N5 billion agreement, the NADF Executive Secretary, said, “ this agreement is aimed at producing over 20,000 tons of food and impacting at least 40,000 lives while creating employment and wealth generation for smallholder farmers and other demography in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of our leader, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu”.
Niger State Governor Umar Mohammed Bago emphasised the critical need for self-reliance in food production, saying: “In line with the President’s Food Security Initiative, it is imperative for us to achieve food sovereignty. We have abundant resources-rain, water bodies, and arable land – and must put them to productive use. This initiative, anchored by Niger Foods, represents a bold step in the right direction.”
The governor noted that “the N5 billion project, co-funded by NADF and the Niger State Government, would not only enhance food production but also create employment opportunities and improve the livelihoods of thousands of residents of our State as a testament to our shared commitment to feeding ourselves and securing a prosperous future for Niger State and Nigeria.
Recall that NADF and the Niger State Government had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) last year leading to the signing of funding agreement between NADF, Niger Foods, and the Niger State Government, setting the stage for transformative growth towards achieving food security and self-sufficiency in Nigeria.
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