By Tony Obiechina, Abuja

The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has inaugurated 120 housing units and an empowerment centre for farmers in Borno State.

The project, which is in a bid to reduce poverty and boost food production, is located in Zawiya village in Borno State.

It also 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 who were visibly excited were drawn from the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP’s) camp in the state.

The Executive Secretary of NALDA, Prince Paul Ikonne, who performed the ceremony alongside Borno State governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, in Maiduguri, explained that the initiative was to encourage young Nigerians to venture into agriculture.

“Today, we inaugurated 120 housing units built for farmers in Borno. The aim is to give farmers a good accommodation,” Ikonne said.

“The other centre is the agriculture empowerment centre where youth and women would be trained within three to four months.

“Thereafter, they will be given startup packs to enable them to do agribusiness on their own. All these are geared towards reducing unemployment and achieving food security. The empowerment centres are new projects of NALDA.”

Ikonne also explained that NALDA was already in touch with existing farmers who would be supported with inputs and, in turn, train budding agriculturists.

He 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,” the NALDA boss said.

“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 percent ready for inauguration.

Speaking on NALDA’s empowerment centres, Prince Ikonne disclosed that the centres would have fishery poultry, animal husbandry and raffia grass fields, 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,” said.

Ikonne further pointed out 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 fields in the first phase. It is going to be a continuous exercise.”

Speaking after inaugurating the rural housing scheme, Borno State governor, Babagana Zulum commended Mr. 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.

Governor Zulum said he was ready to provide lands for investors who are interested in agriculture.

He said the initiative would assist mostly returning Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who have been battered by bandits and terrorists over the years.