…40 tertiary institutions to get up to N2bn each for commercial farming

The Federal Government says it is targeting more than 500,000 hectares of farmland across 40 tertiary institutions for commercial agricultural production, research and enterprise development under its Renewed Hope Tertiary Agricultural and Entrepreneurship Programme.

The initiative is designed to transform underutilised farmlands in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education into productive agricultural hubs through financing, mechanisation, technical expertise and market support.

Maruf Tunji Alausa, minister of education, disclosed this during a meeting with heads of the 40 beneficiary institutions and the management of the Bank of Agriculture to discuss the implementation and operationalisation of the programme.

In a statement signed by Ikharo Attah, special adviser on media and communications to the minister, Alausa said participating institutions were expected to provide approximately 1,000 hectares each, although institutions with smaller landholdings could qualify based on the strength and viability of their business proposals.

Under the partnership arrangement, each participating institution will establish a limited liability company to work with the Bank of Agriculture, which is expected to provide between N1 billion and N2 billion in financing for agricultural production and related inputs.

The minister said the programme builds on earlier Federal Government interventions through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), which approved funding support of N1 billion for some institutions and N2 billion for others.

He added that the Federal Ministry of Education had also made provision of N20 billion in its capital budget to support 20 tertiary institutions under the agricultural development initiative.

On mechanisation, Alausa said participating institutions would have access to 10 tractors each at significantly reduced costs through the government’s agricultural mechanisation initiative.

The support package would also include modern seedlings, farm implements, irrigation equipment, water pumps, fertilisers and technical expertise to improve productivity and ensure efficient farm operations.

To guarantee markets for harvested produce, arrangements would be made with produce aggregators to purchase crops, while measures would be introduced to minimise post-harvest losses.

Alausa said the programme went beyond increasing food production, as it was designed to establish a sustainable agricultural value chain, with processing and other agro-allied activities expected to form the next phase.

He said agriculture and agro-allied businesses offered significant employment opportunities, particularly for Nigeria’s youthful population.

According to the minister, students, unemployed graduates, university alumni, academic and non-academic staff, as well as members of host communities, would be encouraged to participate in commercial farming under the supervision of lecturers and agricultural experts.

He said their involvement would provide practical experience, promote entrepreneurship and enable participants to benefit from the economic returns generated by the farms.

Alausa projected that the initiative could attract investment running into trillions of naira over the coming years, while repositioning tertiary institutions as centres of agricultural innovation, commercial production and enterprise development.

He said the programme would also enable universities and other institutions to contribute more actively to Nigeria’s agricultural economy rather than relying solely on government funding for their operations.

In his remarks, Adamu Ahmed, vice-chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, welcomed the initiative, describing it as an opportunity to harness the institution’s agricultural research and production capacity.

Ahmed highlighted the university’s existing agricultural ecosystem, including the Institute of Agricultural Research, the National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services and its Faculty of Agriculture.

He said the partnership would provide the financing and technical support needed to translate research into commercial production, strengthen agricultural capacity and create opportunities for students.

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Similarly, Chioma Irene Awuzie, rector of Federal Polytechnic Oko, said the programme would enable the institution to maximise the use of its available land through mechanised farming and strengthen agricultural production.

Ayo Sotinrin, managing director and chief executive officer of the Bank of Agriculture, said the programme would channel sustainable financing into the agricultural potential of tertiary institutions.

He said the bank would support participating institutions with financing and market linkages, while helping to commercialise agricultural research, improve productivity and create opportunities for students and unemployed graduates.

Sotinrin added that the initiative would enable universities to contribute to food supply beyond their immediate communities while generating revenue from their agricultural investments.

Alausa assured stakeholders that the Ministry of Education would work with the Bank of Agriculture, relevant government agencies and tertiary institutions to ensure effective implementation of the programme.

He said the government remained focused on increasing agricultural productivity, strengthening institutional capacity and creating sustainable economic opportunities through the initiative.