•Undeterred Gov Bago flags off agric revolution, vows to secure Niger
From John Adams, Minna
Niger State is the largest in the country with over 76,300 square kilometers. This accounts for about 10 per cent of the total land size of Nigeria. It also hosts the longest distance of federal roads, about eight per cent of the entire national federal road network.
Governor Umar Mohammed Bago said the state government took advantage of these resources by commissioning multi-billion dollar farm equipment to revolutionise agricultural mechanisation revolution. The commissioning was performed by President Bola Tinubu recently, which the governor said, “marks the beginning food security agenda of this administration.
“With the state occupying 10 percent of the country’s land mass, if this is well utilised, the state has the potential to feed the nation and export food to neighbouring African countries and the Western world.”
In the 2024 state budget, the governor had allocated N43.5billion out of the total N613.2billion package: “For us, agriculture is key to our commitment to addressing the challenges in critical sectors of our economy. We shall seize every opportunity for the attainment of growth and engender prosperity for the people of our beloved state and by extension our dear country, Nigeria.”
The United States NEXIM had earlier entered into agreement with the state to finance the agricultural revolution programme, especially in the provision of mechanised farming equipment notably thrillers, planters and harvesters. the reason for which the Governor said he is satisfied with the response of investors to the call by the state government.
Agriculture experts believe the state is on the match for agricultural revolution and guarantee food security. Farm Manager, Tsado Integrated Farm, Minna, Adamu Mohammed, said: “Niger State has the capacity to lead the nation in food production, if the right incentives and atmosphere are provided for both small and large scale farmers.
“This is what I think the governor is doing now. The state has comparative advantage in the production of many food crops including yam, millet, rice and other sorghum with its vast and fertile land ready for cultivation. But what is needed is the political will that march words with action.”
While interacting with some investors recently, the governor said: “We have gone round the world looking for investments and it is manifesting. Let me thank the USA Government and US NEXIM for agreeing to finance us the way they are doing. We have more initiatives in agriculture. Once we finish with this project, we would seek further partnership in other sectors.”
Apart from foreign investors, Lagos State Government partnered with Niger State on paddy rice production under the “Produce for Lagos” MoU. The state government signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Lagos Rice Company and Lagos Commodity Future Exchange. Niger Foods Limited would produce 300,000 tons of rice on 20,000 hectares of farm estate, while Lagos Rice Company would off-take the rice and the Lagos Commodity Exchange would support the project with N100 billion.
Chairman, Niger Foods Security Systems and Logistics Company, Sammy Adigun, signed on behalf of the state government while CEO, of Lagos Rice Company Dr. Oluwarotimi Fashola and CEO, Lagos Commodity and Future Exchange, Dr. Akinsola Akeredolu, signed on behalf of Lagos State Government.
Bago said: “A similar agreement would soon be signed with the Ogun State Government. We are ready to collaborate with other state governments for mutual benefits. We will also do our best to ensure the private sector thrives.”
Bago told Tinubu at the commissioning of the agricultural equipment: “Despite the strategic roles the state plays in the nation’s economy as a crucial transit corridor connecting the Northern and Southern parts of Nigeria, the current state of dilapidation of the infrastructure is terrible and unacceptable.
“To address these challenges and establish efficient road infrastructure and cost-effective and secure movement of goods and services, the state government embarked on ambitious initiatives to rehabilitate and expand some federal roads that have implications for the evacuation of agricultural products including the 90km Kontagora to Rijau road, 90km Agwara to Rofia and 50km Kakaki to Beji.
“Every effort towards agricultural revolution and food security in the state will be a mirage without good road network for the movement of agriculture produce to the market, hence the decision to embark on aggressive road infrastructural transformation.
“Massive infrastructural development has been earmarked for the Agro-Processing Free Zone by the government as some of the infrastructural designs are being fine-tuned. Example of such is unhindered water supply. Government has already factored-in the construction of irrigation channel to pump water from Shiroro Dam.
“This, according to him, will irrigate expansive lands servicing millions of farmers in clusters. We have entered into a $100m partnership with a Saudi irrigation firm for both Batati and the Airport Irrigation Projects.
“The state government has prioritised agricultural development as a catalyst for economic growth and poverty alleviation in the state. We have no reason to be poor. To this end, we have made significant investments in agricultural machinery and technology as the way to go and as part of our efforts to advance your aspiration towards food security in Nigeria.
“We are also attracting partnerships in support of our laudable programmes, for example we just secured a 16 million dollar intervention for planting 19 million trees in our march towards one billions trees to be planted in Niger state for the much needed environmental restoration carbon credit sequestration.
“To buttress the lead role Niger State is playing in agriculture and contributing to the overall food security of Nigeria, we shall explore over three million of the 8.3 million hectares of arable land, large water bodies with multitude of tributaries, 23 grazing reserves, and 94 forest reserves. Therefore, Niger State stands as a beacon of hope and promise in the realm of agriculture and our springboard to harvest our potential in the Green Economy and associated gains.
“In our unwavering commitment to this cause, the Niger State Government has made significant investments in procuring machinery and technology for cultivation and land preparation. To this end, we have procured a substantial number of agricultural equipment and inputs for enhanced agricultural activities in the state.
“These include 1000 John Deere, of which 300 have been delivered, 500 Case tractors out of which 100 units have been delivered, 500 units of combined harvester with 50 units delivered, 10,000 hand tillers for small holder farmers, 10,000 Solar Irrigation Water Pumps of which 1000 have been delivered and 1000 Pivot Irrigation Systems ordered, with 60 already delivered.
“Others are, 2,000 metric tons of NPK/UREA Fertilizers, with 20,000 tons delivered, 100,000 liters of herbicides, with 10,000 liters delivered and 100,000 liters of Pesticides ordered, with 10,000 liters delivered. Government has embarked on an ambitious land preparation and cultivation pprogramme cross the 25 local governments of the state.
“I am proud to announce that our mechanisation mission is on course as we are ambitious to prepare for the cultivation of about one million hectares of land, laying the foundation for increased agricultural productivity and food sufficiency.
“It is therefore with great pride that I share with you our bold vision for the future of agriculture in Niger State. We are well positioned to produce 50 million metric tons of assorted food crops annually utilizing about three million hectares by 2030. On the overall, Niger State intends to be the largest sub-national food exporter in Nigeria”
The President responded: “We have seen the level of commitment here from Niger State, we have seen leadership. A success story of any leader will depend on ability to do what ought to do when he ought to do it. The Federal Government would also partner with Niger State to banish hunger from the country through agro- mechanised and dry season irrigation farming.”
The President, however, believed that to achieve the food security agenda of the administration, the issue of farmers/herders clash must be addressed: “We must orient our farming population including the livestock farmers. It is an economic sabotage for animals to eat up the crops and vegetation of our lands.”
However, mixed reactions greeted the “agriculture revolution” in the midst of security challenges bedeviling the state with eight out of the 25 local governments of the state under the control of terrorists, bandits and insurgents. These eight local governments under account for 70 per cent of food production in the state as 90 per cent of the people are farmers.
The local governments are Shiroro, Munya, Paikoro Rafi, Gurara, Kontagora, Mashegun and Mariga. For over 10 years, communities in these local governments lost their peace and abandoned their ancestral homes and farms following incessant attacks from these enemies of the people. Activities of these criminals also changed the people’s lifestyle. Lives were lost and millions of naira paid as ransom to secure the release of their loved ones.
Sarkin Kasuwan Zumba (Head, Zumba Market), Mallam Adamu Ahmed, said the governor’s initiative “is a welcome development. But this can only be successful if the current security situation in the state is addressed.
“Seventy per cent of farmers have abandoned their farms and homes due to the activities of the bandits and insurgents. Today, I can count over 20 communities in Shiroro LG that the people have fled their homes and are not ready to go back because of frequent bandits’ attacks.”
Ahmed insisted that government must look at the issue of insecurity and address it with all seriousness: “Nothing can be achieved without the security of lives and properties of the people.”
Youth leader of Zagzaga community, Munya LG, Yahuza Mohammed, said the community remained one of the most terrorised by bandits in the local government since 2015 with attendant losses in lives and properties: “The hitherto farming community is now a ghost community.
“Any government effort towards agriculture must first of all take into consideration the issue of insecurity, because the forests are currently being occupied by the bandits and other terrorist groups.
“The government agricultural policy is quite commendable but the security challenge must be looked into. As we speak, the forests are a no-go area for now. They forests are still being occupied by bandits and people are still being kidnapped from their farms for ransom.
“Some communities even pay levy to the bandits to enable them access their farms. Some other cases, the farmers pay the bandits some percentage from the sales of their farm produce to allow peace to reign.”
Bago,however, assured the people that all the ungoverned areas of the state as a result banditry and other criminal activities would be secured to pave way for “a robust agricultural transformation for food security.
“Government will take a holistic approach towards addressing the security challenges in parts of the state which has made life miserable for the people. This administration will take a different approach from what was obtained before towards putting an end to the activities of the bandits.”
