UNDP gets 400-hectare farmland to tackle food insecurity in Nasarawa

The Nasarawa State government has donated 400 hectares of farmland to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for agricultural purposes.

Munirat Abdullahi, special adviser to the state governor on NGOs and Development Partners, on behalf of the state government handed over the land to the implementing partners at the project sites in Awe and Keana Local Government Areas of the state.

The successful implementation of the agricultural programmes would translate to food security in the state.

Abdullahi said 300 farmers each from Jangwa, Ribi, Giza and Kadarko in Awe and Keana Local Government Areas have been selected and are currently undergoing training in the modern methods of animal and crop production for the commencement of the project.

Read Also: Nasarawa recalls suspended local council staff as investigation still on

The beneficiaries, she said, are people who were affected by the farmer-herder crisis and whose hope of livelihood have been tampered with, hence the donation to ensure food security in the state through mechanised farming.

She explained that the livelihood project was a component of the peace-building projects of the government in collaboration with the UNDP to address the plight of persons affected by the crisis in recent times.

The farmlands were acquired from four different villages in the southern zone of the state as part of Governor Abdullahi Sule’s effort in post-conflict programmes through food production and peace-building for the economic prosperity of the state, she said.

“Over 10, 000 family members are expected to also benefit indirectly from the positive impacts of the gesture at the end of the programme,” Abdullahi said.

She said besides making available the 400 hectares of farmland, the state government would also offer technical assistance, while the UNDP would provide farming inputs, equipment and other resources to ensure the success of the programme.

The governor’s aide restated the state government’s commitment to always work with genuine organisations towards improving the living standards of the people of the state.

“The project is in line with the policy of the present administration in the state to boost agricultural activities with and to create employment opportunities for the youths of the state,” she said.

Enyi James, project manager of Thrive Agric, an implementing partner of the UNDP, who received the farmland on behalf of the UNDP, expressed gratitude to the state government for the gesture and support towards improving the lives of farmers.

He assured the government that they would soon commence agricultural activities in the area, to assist in addressing issues of food security in the state and the country as a whole.

He explained that they would train the farmers on modern techniques, provide boreholes and supply them with farming inputs to enable them to engage in dry season farming.

James said by the time the programme commenced, it would go a long way in changing the fortunes of the farmers for the better.