Nigeria needs a comprehensive Farm Price Stabilisation and Farmer Income Protection Framework to prevent the collapse of its agricultural sector, the Chief Executive Officer , Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Dr Muda Yusuf has said.
Responding to recent government interventions that have succeeded in bringing down food prices to the relief of consumers, Yusuf ,however, warned that the policy has created troubling trade-offs that threaten the sustainability of the nation’s food security.
“The welfare gains from cheaper food have been profound and should be acknowledged. However, the cost to farmers and other investors across the agricultural value chain is equally significant and cannot be ignored,” Yusuf said in a comprehensive policy brief released by CPPE.
The CPPE chief explained that recent import surges of staple crops, particularly rice, maize and soybeans, have caused serious dislocations in the agricultural investment ecosystem, inflicting severe hardship on farmers and weakening incentives to produce.
“Nigeria cannot afford a policy regime that undermines confidence and discourages investment in agriculture—one of the most strategic sectors of the economy, a major source of livelihoods, and one of the country’s largest employers of labour,” Yusuf stated.
He emphasised the need for urgent policy recalibration to strike a sustainable balance between keeping food affordable for consumers and protecting farmers’ incomes.
“Although consumers have welcomed the decline in food prices, the long-term consequences are adverse: farmer incomes fall, production declines over time, investment confidence weakens, and the country risks returning to cycles of scarcity and higher prices,” he warned.
The policy brief identified several structural factors driving farm price collapses beyond import surges. These include harvest gluts caused by simultaneous harvesting periods, limited storage facilities forcing farmers into immediate distress sales, weak rural logistics, and inadequate processing capacity.
Yusuf called for the establishment of a National Farm Price Stabilisation and Farmer Income Protection Framework anchored on clear principles. “The framework should be rules-based rather than discretionary, targeted rather than universal, market-friendly rather than command-driven, and digitally enabled to strengthen transparency and accountability,” he said.
Among the key recommendations, CPPE proposed the introduction of Minimum Guaranteed Prices for strategic commodities including maize, rice, sorghum and soybeans.
Yusuf clarified that this should not become an open-ended government purchase programme but rather operate strictly as a stabilising backstop when market prices fall below support levels.
“Support prices should follow a transparent methodology reflecting cost of production, storage and logistics costs, and fair farmer margins,” he explained, while cautioning that minimum guaranteed prices without adequate storage capacity and institutional discipline could become fiscally unsustainable.
The CPPE chief also advocated for urgent reform of the strategic grain reserves, calling for their conversion into a modern, professionally managed and rules-based buffer stock system. “Government should buy grains during harvest periods when prices collapse and release grains in lean seasons when prices spike. This will reduce volatility, stabilise supply, and strengthen food security,” Yusuf said.
He recommended nationwide expansion of the Warehouse Receipt System, describing it as one of the most sustainable global solutions to distress sales. Under this system, farmers deposit produce in certified warehouses, receive receipts which serve as collateral for loans, and can sell later when prices improve.
“A major driver of price collapse is farmers’ lack of liquidity. Many farmers sell at low prices not because they want to, but because they urgently need cash,” Yusuf noted.
The policy brief also called for massive investment in storage infrastructure, cold chain facilities and agro-logistics through public-private partnerships, expansion of processing capacity near production zones, and strengthening of agricultural insurance schemes.
On trade policy, Yusuf emphasised the importance of predictable safeguards to prevent import-driven price crashes while maintaining compliance with regional trade obligations.
He further stressed the urgent need to reduce the prohibitively high cost of farm inputs including fertiliser, improved seeds, agrochemicals, farm machinery and livestock feeds, alongside provision of single-digit loan facilities and improved extension services.
He said Nigeria’s agricultural transformation cannot be achieved without stabilising farmer incomes.
He called on the Federal Government, state governments, commodity exchanges, development finance institutions and private investors to work collaboratively in establishing the proposed framework, describing it as essential for protecting farmers, strengthening food security, reducing inflationary pressures, expanding rural employment and improving national economic resilience.
This is the essence of Mrs Tinubu’s Young Farmers Club
It is amazing how laudable programmes and projects fizzle out of consciousness in Nigeria. Many years ago, the Young Farmers Club existed in several schools in the country. The aim was to get students interested in farming right from their school days so that when they grew up, they would have mastered the art of farming and may even decide to make it a vocation.
However, like many other such laudable initiatives, the Young Farmers Club died slowly due to loss of interest occasioned probably by the petro-dollars that reoriented the youths and made them to abandon the farms for white collar jobs. It was only a question of time for the youths to leave the villages in droves for better life in the cities. Not only did they leave the villages, those of them who succeeded in the cities also brought their parents along, thus depleting the number of people left on the farms. The groundnut pyramids and cotton plantations in the north, cocoa and rubber plantations in the west and the southern part of Nigeria, and palm oil in the east soon became history. The result was the gradual erosion of food security that has now become a major issue plaguing the country.
It is against this background that we welcome the launching of the Young Farmers Club, Nigeria, by Mrs Oluremi Tinubu, the First Lady. Mrs Tinubu launched the club, an initiative of her pet project, Renewed Hope Initiative at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, during which she symbolically presented membership cards, handbooks and farming implements to pupils from various schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The aims are to revive agriculture, create employment opportunities, diversify the economy and ensure food security.
According to the First Lady, “Today, the launch of the Renewed Hope Initiative’s Young Farmers Club, Nigeria, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, awakens in me a nostalgic feeling of hard work and productivity as a noble virtue.
“The song we just heard essentially means that our land is known for farming, anyone who does not work will steal, and that education without farming is incomplete.
“It encourages us to revive our indigenous occupation, which is farming. It is this spirit of hard work and productivity that we seek to rekindle today with the launch of the Young Farmers Club Nigeria.
We need an initiative like this to encourage the pupils, students and youths generally to take up opportunities in the agricultural sector. As the First Lady rightly observed, agriculture used to be the country’s mainstay before we abandoned it, to our collective detriment. We must return to the soil.
This time, however, unlike those days of subsistence farming, what we need are young farmers brimming with new ideas about modern farming techniques and technology. Gone were those days of farming with crude implements like hoes and cutlasses.
We need to warn, however, that there should be continuity of this initiative, irrespective of who or which political party is in power. The usual practice of jettisoning an idea or project simply because the initiator is no longer in office should not be extended to this. Food security is key to whatever we do. That is why we should not see the Young Farmers Club, Nigeria, as Oluremi Tinubu’s idea alone, which must die with her husband’s tenure.
We appeal to the government too to look critically into projects and programmes it inherited with a view to continuing those that are relevant. Where necessary, they could be modified to suit the times instead of abandoning them outright. The country is the loser each time such laudable projects are abandoned.
Much as it is good to come up with ideas such as this, it is equally important to stress that farming must be made attractive to keep the young ‘converts’ in the sector. The moment they see attractions in white collar jobs and farming as a vocation for never-do-wells, they will rejoin the ‘tie wagon’.
Amidst the hardship occasioned by current economic downturn and hike in food prices in the country, farmers, young and old in Osun State, are lamenting the unending invasion of their farms by herders, who brazenly lead their cattle to feed freely on their produce, not minding the repercussion on farmers who have invested their time, money and energy. Toba Adedeji, who explored the situation also beamed searchlight on the efforts of the government at arresting the situation.
Will never return to farming again! You know why? What I experienced in farming made me shed tears. I feel like I am a failure. I never felt that way save when I had carryover in school. Whenever I remember the experience, which is now like a scar in my heart, I never feel good.”
These were the words of 33-year-old Demiji Temitope who has now abandoned farming for the vocations of shoemaking and commercial motorcycle in Osogbo metropolis.
He explained: “I had five hectares of land which I obtained on loan to set up. I equally collected money from a monthly savings group I subscribed to in 2023 for farming.
“I rented five hectares of land along Ogbomoso road very close to Ifon in Orolu Local government Area of Osun State to grow maize and cassava. When the time of harvest drew near, I went about scouting for buyers with high hopes of financial rewards. Unfortunately, that was when tragedy struck me.
“Herders came with their cattle and invaded my ready-to-harvest produce. They ravaged and plundered the whole farm and went their way. When I arrived the farm the following morning with a buyer, I nearly passed out. The shock I experienced was beyond what I can express. For the first time in my entire life, I felt like a failure.”
Temitope said after the incident, he was forced to look for alternatives sources to raise money to repay the loans he secured for the farm.
31-year-old former farmer, Tunde, also narrated his ordeal on how his farm was plundered by marauding headers who destroyed the farm few weeks to the harvest, forcing him to abandon the farm to become a commercial motorcyclist.
Similarly, in February 2024, some herders in Kajola village in Atakunmosa East Local Government Area of Osun State destroyed hectares of cassava, maize and other crops plantation.
The incident led to confrontations between some farmers and herders, which forced the former to seek the intervention of Amotekun Corps.
However, attempts to arrest the herders resulted in a crisis, as the suspects engaged the Amotekun in a gun-battle, which led to three of them sustaining injury.
Findings by The Nation revealed herders farm invasion and clashes are prevalent mostly in Ejigbo, Esa-Oke, Ago-Owu, Oke-Ila, Ikire, Kwara boundary amongst other places.
Another farmer, Prince Wale Olayemi, had to abandon farming following the invasion on his 10-hectare maize farmland at Otan Aiyegbaju in Boluwaduro Local Government Area of Osun State.
Olayemi, speaking in a visibly dispirited tone, narrated his ordeal: “I pulled about N1.5million, going to about N2million from my savings to start a farm in my hometown.
“The crops grew well but few days to the harvest, the herders came to the farm when nobody was there; they turned the farm into a ranch and fed their cattle with my harvest; harvest that I have laboured on for months. In few hours, the sweat of about four months was gone.
“The incident broke me, it discouraged me from farming. I left the place unannounced and till today, I have never given farming a second thought. The output I was expecting from that farm should be around N3.5m or N4 million.
He continued, “We are clamouring for food security but the herders remain the major problem in Nigeria.”
Words failed the distraught farmer, as he tried to express his disappointment over the destruction, even as he added that he had engaged about four youths in the farm. The incident led to the loss of the jobs.
Another farmer, Matthew Akinade, berated the security operatives for not enforcing the ban on open-grazing law in Osun State.
Akinade, whose farm is located at Osun State Farm Settlement at Irewole Local Government Area, Ikire, disclosed that he had spent about N1million on the farm, when marauding herders invaded and destroyed the harvest.
He explained that, “I have spent about N536,000 on the farm aside other expenses which I am unable to account for. They destroyed other peoples farm at the settlement too. I planted on five hectares of land. I appeal to Osun State government to intervene and provide security for our farms.
Pa Fasanmi Simeon who resides in the Ejigbo Community has his farm located at the Inisa Egboro axis which covers over seventy hectares of land.
He grew cashew on about forty hectares while cassava and maize covered about thirty-five hectares. However, the cassava and maize farm, was invaded last week and destroyed. According to Pa Fasamin, over two hundred cows were led into my farm by the herders. It was completely destroyed right in my presence.
“They came with motorcycles, they were armed with weapons. I saw them but I couldn’t run because if I attempted it, they could attack me. I called the chairman of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Osun State Chapter, Mr Bello, he advised me not to resist them.”
The farmer said the farm is very far from any police or security station, the nearest ranging between 9 to 10 miles. The farmer also alleged the Division Police Officer at Ejigbo of security sabotage, noting that he has on several occasions backed the criminal herders against the farmers.
“I used to report the activities of herders to him, he would be playing to their defence.”
The disillusioned old farmer said: “When I complained too much to him, he advised me to look for a local security to watch over my farm. He equally demanded the sum of N100,000 to be used to fuel their patrol van in order to be able check on my farm once in a while.”
He continued: “My farm is a soft target for the herders; they will steal the crops and equally feed their cattle with it.” He recalled that he was once arrested by the police who came from Ilorin, on the allegation that I stole four cows from herders when they were feeding on my farm.
He explained, “There was a time they invaded my farm and I got them arrested; I took them to court and these herdsmen were remanded in prison. The other herdsmen came from Ilorin in a bid to fight back, alleging that I stole cows. I was eventually taken to court but later freed.”
He also added that the herders always invade farms around 12 noon to 6 PM, lamenting further that: “I used to lose about N10m on my cashew farm yearly due to attacks by herders.”
“My output on my cashew farm should be 20 tonnes but it is not possible with the attacks. They made all my efforts to be fruitless.”
“There was a time when the local government chairman in my area came to my farm and said the investment on the farm would be worth N150 million.”
He added, “Despite all my efforts, help is not coming from the security or the government. I am spending all my life savings on the farm. I am a Mechanical Engineer. With all these ordeals, I am almost regretting that I ventured into farming without any help.”
Speaking, the state chairman of AFAN, Mr Wahab Bello, commended the Osun State Government for ensuring that challenges faced by farmers are brought to a minimum, especially on the herder’s invasion of farms.
He said, “The government is trying to address the issue of security; what is needed is continuous meeting with them. There are a lot of plans in the pipeline to address the issue of insecurity in farms by the present government of Governor Ademola Adeleke.”
Osun Anti-open Grazing Law
Recall that Osun State Government under the administration of former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola in September 2021 signed the Anti-open Grazing bill into law.
The law prohibits a minor from leading animals to graze. It also outlawed the movement of animals from one point to another, except by rail or truck.
“A minor who contravenes the provision of the law has committed an offence, and the guardian or parent of the minor or owner of the livestock as the case may be, shall be vicariously liable upon conviction to a fine of N300,000 only.” The law states.
It further states: “Preference shall be given in issuance of ranching permits to those within or near districts that are landowners interested in livestock business.
“Any herdsman or pastoralist who attacks or threatens to track any farmer, person or commuter whether or not injury is occasioned by the attack shall be guilty of an offence and liable upon conviction to a term of imprisonment of not less than one year without an option of fine.
“Conveyance of livestock on foot from one destination to another in the state is prohibited, except such movement is by rail, truck or pick-up wagon and is within 7 am and 6 pm.”
Security operatives interventions
Amidst the ravaging destruction of farmlands and harvest by herders in the state, security operatives, especially the Amotekun Corps and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC) have stepped up activities to ensure that farmers enjoy utmost peace in the state.
The Osun State NSCDC Command spokesperson, Kehinde Adeleke, disclosed that the command under the leadership of its State Commandant, Micheal Adaralewa, has a unit called Agro Rangers, which has a good working relationship with both farmers and herders in the state.
Adeleke noted that the State Commandant had visited Governor Ademola Adeleke to demanded for accommodation for the Rangers and for adequate service in farm settlements.
She disclosed that the construction of office accommodation for Agro Rangers personnel in some local government in the state are ongoing and 80percent done by some host communities.
“This simply means that the NSCDC has personnel living in some farm settlements across the state to protect both farmers and their farm produce,” she said.
Adeleke highlighted that, “Amicable resolution of 220 cases of farmland invasion and destruction by herdsmen, out of which 120 involved payment of financial compensation of varying sum of money to the affected farmers by the herdsmen across all formations in Osun State were recorded.”
She added: “It is important to state here that the command is meeting both the leaders of farmers association and Seriki of herdsmen in the state from time to time, for enlightenment on the need for them to co-exist in peace and we also urge them to always tell their people to refrain from any act that could lead to violence, with emphasis on the fact that they must not take laws into their hands.”
Other steps include: “Successful provision of security coverage for a private task force inaugurated by the state government for revenue collection from loggers and farmers operating in the state-owned forest reserves across the state; providing emergency response to prevent illegal activities, such as illegal logging and poaching in rural areas; conducive environment for Agro-allied business to thrive in the state.”
Similarly, the Osun State Amotekun through its spokesman, Yusuf Idowu stressed that the outfit under its new State Commander, Adekunle Omoyele, has intensified its efforts to safeguard farmers from herder attacks and protect farm lands from destruction.
“The Corps has successfully resolved numerous disputes between farmers and herders in the state, fostering a peaceful resolution and warning herders against attacking farmers and engaging in open grazing.”
What Osun Govt is doing to revolutionised food production
The Osun State governor, Ademola Adeleke, recently unveiled 31 tractors and gave cheques of N118million to poultry farmers to boost food production in the state.
Adeleke speaking at Aisu Junction, Ede, Osun State, also disclosed that his government will distribute 6,000 herbicides, 80,000 cashew seedlings, 8,000 cassava cuttings, 8,000 various vegetable seeds and 500 bags of lime to farmers across the state.
According to him, “We are unveiling 31 newly purchased tractors with full implements for the use of our farmers in Osun State, which is the first phase of this project.
“These tractors will be released to farmers cooperative societies and associations after all necessary administrative procedures have been concluded. This is also in line with the promise made to our resourceful youthful population during the last End Bad Governance protest.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Tola Faseru, also disclosed that “N118,600,000 will be distributed to poultry farmers participating in the Osun Broiler Outgrower Production Scheme (OBOPS). Each of them is sponsored to raise two thousand (2,000) day-old broiler birds to table size within six weeks and the cycle will be repeated continuously and the off-taker will buy back from each farmer.”
Nigeria’s premier and largest non-interest bank, Jaiz Bank Plc, has provided funding for the establishment of a 10,000 hectare irrigation farm for Tiamin Rice Limited, a major business partner based in Bauchi State.
The farm received the funding under a collaborative effort of the Private Sector-Led Accelerated Agricultural Development Scheme (P-AADS) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Jaiz Bank’s commercial funds.
Speaking during an inspection visit to the farm, Managing Director, Jaiz Bank Plc, Haruna Musa, expressed satisfaction with the performance of the facility and tasked the farm management on the need to remain steadfast in meeting the bank’s obligations.
He noted that the funding was in addition to the expansion financing of the company’s processing capacity from the existing 320 metric tonne per day (mtpd) to 920mtpd through the procurement and installation of additional 600mtpd processing machinery and equipment in Bauchi.
Haruna pointed out that Jaiz Bank had financed several agricultural projects that have direct impact on the lives of the common people, business communities and the country’s economy in general.
Chairman, Jaiz Bank Plc, Alhaji Mohammed Mustapha Bintube, re-iterated the bank’s commitment to stimulating the real sector of the economy, particularly through agriculture.
He acknowledged the multiplier effect of agricultural financing as a key enabler in employment generation, conservation of foreign exchange and overall food security of the country.
“The bank is willing to do more of such partnerships with reliable and committed investors like Tiamin, to grow the economy,” Bintube said.
Group Managing Director, Tiamin Rice Limited, Aminu Ahmed, commended Jaiz Bank’s management team for believing in the company’s capacity to manage the two projects.
“The farm had commenced harvesting of about 800 hectares of rice plantation cultivated this dry season, and has started preparations for cultivation of about 2,000 hectares this wet season,” Ahmed said.
The Oyo State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Olasunkanmi Olaleye, on Monday supervised the distribution of farm inputs and agricultural assets to farmers in six local government areas.
The distribution is part of ongoing Sustainable Action for Economic Recovery programme (SAfER) by the government.
Olaleye said the government is committed to enhancing quality and increased farm produce in order to boost food security.
Unveiling the distribution at Saki West, Olaleye said fourth phase of the distribution was kicked off at Eruwa, Ibarapa East, where about 2,537 farmers across Ibarapa zones benefited.
He said the distribution was ongoing simultaneously in the six local government areas in Oke Ogun – Atiba, Saki West, Oorelope, Kajola, Iwajowa and Itesiwaju. About 766 arable farmers would benefit.
The commissioner added that the fifth phase of the SAfER scheme in the food sector, including free vaccination for cattle, distribution of feed to goat and sheep farmers, as well as subsidy on the use of tractors for farmers, will begin in the next few weeks.
Commodity associations and the All Progressives Congress (APC) agric stakeholders have called on the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari to give maximum support and priority to procurement and distribution of farm inputs to large, medium and small scale farmers at subsidized rate.
Other priorities the association said include; support to the dry season farming, recapitalisation of the Bank of Agriculture (BoA), insurance and development of livestock in Nigeria.
The association who made this known yesterday in Abuja, during a press briefing with the theme: “Transforming Nigeria’s Agricultural Sector: The Way Forward”, said the sector has not lived up to expectations due to myriad of challenges such as inadequate budgetary allocation, low productivity among others.
Speaking on behalf of the association, the National Publicity Secretary, All Farmers Association (AFAN), Hon. Mohammed Gettado and the South East Coordinator, National Support Group, Dr Austine Maduka, noted that Nigeria’s agriculture sector has strong potential to provide adequate food for an increasing population.
The associations reiterated the need to intensify and strengthen collaboration with donor agencies, development partners, World bank, African Development Bank (AFDB) among others.
The associations however called on the Federal government to establish the Ministry of Livestock as obtained globally where livestock development has succeeded in bringing out huge economic and social benefits leading to peaceful coexistence and improvement in livelihood.
Furthermore, they called on President Bola Tinubu to ensure that all agricultural related programmes are handled by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
“We suggest that all recovered monies from anchor borrowers be channeled to the BoA through the ministry.
“Nigeria’s agriculture sector has strong potential to provide adequate food for an increasing population, by supplying raw materials to a growing industrial sector, constituting the major source of employment in the country and being a major source of foreign exchange earnings”, the associations noted.
The commodity associations include: Okro Farmers and Marketers Association of Nigeria; Cassava Growers Association (NCGA); National Walnut Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria; Tomatoes and Orchard Producers Association of Nigeria; South-South Hum National Support Group; National Association of Sorghum Producers, Processors and Marketers of Nigeria; Ginger Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (GGPMAN) and Arewa Grassroot Farmers Processors Association.
Stakeholders in the food sector have called on the government to increase access to electricity to farms.
The World Bank estimated that Nigerian businesses, including agriculture, are losing $29 billion yearly as a result of poor power supply.
About 92 million persons out of the nation’s 200 million population lack access to power, according to the Energy Progress Report 2022 released by Tracking SDG 7.
Immediate past Commissioner for Agriculture Ogun State, Dr Samson Odedina expressed concern about insufficient power supply to farms, as it has affected food production.
He has seen operators exposed to limited options as they cannot generate enough supply to power installed capacity, thereby crippling processing efforts.
According to him, addressing power shortages requires more concerted efforts to ensure efficient decision-making process for electricity market reforms, including deployment of renewable energy as the economy cannot relying on hydropower.
The Nation learnt that many companies have had to suspend production due to severe power cuts.
A poultry farmer, Stephen Oladipupo explained that the sector was constrained by a lack of electricity access and energy security.
The situation, he continued, was critical considering the huge number of farms in the rural areas where there is almost no electricity.
He said electrical supply was needed to run large poultry operations, adding that the energy crisis is taking a heavy toll on the food sector.
He stressed the need to focus on farms energy security to ensure a reliable and secure electricity supply for the expansion of food economy.
He urged the government this month to move quickly to tackle the power crisis.
Like other sectors, insufficient power supply and load shedding have challenged the ability of farmers and food processors the to keep pace with demand .
In the last five years , food companies have encountered challenges processing their products as power shortage impede on their ability to run their machines and cold storage facilities.
In her reaction, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Ibadan, Dr. Olubunmi Alawode observed that inadequate power supply has combined with other factors to hamper production of food produce , leading to price rises that have made some popular items too expensive for poor families.
With the issue of power supply threatening the sector, the economic expert indicated that the affordability of food was going to be a challenge, particularly to the lower income households.
In some areas in the North, farmers have had to confront dry spells and power disruptions posing a massive challenge.
Farmers now battle consequences of dwindling groundwater levels as they witness their crops wither away due to an alarming lack of rainfall and irregular power supply.
In some instances, the shortfall in power has left even farmers with heavy machinery unable to adequately irrigate their fields and crops.
Farmers who rely on borewells and use generating sets to extract water , due to the erratic power supply are finding it excruciating coping with the rising cost of diesel.
Rivers state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has begun the process of reviving the Songhai farms abandoned in Bunu community, Tai Local Government Area of the state.
The governor said revamping the farm would lay the foundation for his administration’s revolution in agriculture.
Fubara in a statement signed by his Special Assistant, Media, Boniface Onyedi, gave the assurance when he inspected the Songhai Farm.
Fubara explained was following a decision at the last National Economic Council meeting where discussions were held on the need for diversification of the economy to cushion the current economic hardship.
He said: “In our last National Economic Council meeting, because of the present situation of our economy, which you are aware; the issue of removal of fuel subsidy and other economic bite affecting everyone, everybody was advised to diversify. The other option is agriculture and we were all advised to see what we can do to improve on food sufficiency.”
Fubara said that revamping the Songhai Farms would serve the purpose of diversifying the economy, get the people engaged meaningfully, and increase the food sufficiency capacity of the state.
He said: “As I leave here now, we are going to bring in all the stakeholders to discuss the way forward. What I am seeing here will require long-term planning and going back to the site to reinstate the installed facilities that have become desolate.
“The state government would not just do that, we will bring in people who have the strength and commitment to partnering with us to bring back this place to life.”
“The advantages to be derived when this place comes back to life include food sufficiency and employment generation. It will also address issues of youth restiveness,” he added.
Earlier, the Centre Manager of the Songhai Project, Dr. Tammy Jaja, conducted the governor round the facilities.
He said that the project was based on a self-driven zero-waste model and had the potential to promote economic development in the state, especially in the area of food sufficiency.
Amo Farm Sieberer Hatchery Limited, producers of Noiler dual-purpose chicken breed (for both meat and eggs), said it was partnering the Federal Government to boost its (government’s) food security initiative by providing affordable and nutritional Noiler protein consumption to Nigerians.
The Group Managing Director of Amo Farm Sieberer Hatchery Limited, Dr. Ayoola Oduntan, who made this known in a statement in Lagos, said the company, being the major driver of small-scale poultry farming, had critical roles to play in ensuring food security and nutrition.
According to him, the company was poised to boost the Federal Government’s stance on food security for the well-being of the citizenry for a progressive nation in agricultural development.
Oduntan, who declared his company’s support for the Federal Government’s food security initiative and the state of emergency recently declared to address food sufficiency in Nigeria, reiterated its commitment to the provision of affordable food protein to Nigerians through agricultural initiatives.
The Amo Farm boos said the company joined the nation in marking her 63rd Independence Day Anniversary, and added that “The independence celebration should resonate with our patriotism and rededication to our national developmental goals which our company is entirely committed to through agricultural initiatives that would erase the traits of malnutrition in Nigeria.”
Dr. Oduntan stated that the well-being of Nigerians should be a collective effort by the government and the private sector, in order to achieve the desired impact, considering the enormous task involved.
“This challenge has inspired Amo Farm’s strategic role in supporting 1.4 million smallholder farmers in Nigeria and Africa to partake in small-scale poultry farming in Noiler, the dual purpose yield high-quality chicken,” he said.
Noiler is a genetically improved dual-purpose chicken breed that is similar in looks and taste to the native chicken, but is resistant to diseases, and produces four times more eggs and three times more meat.
It was developed by Amo Farm Sieberer Hatchery Ltd. (ASFH) after several years of research through a pedigree breeding and selection programme, along the lines of the indigenous chicken, which is the chicken of choice in Nigeria because of its distinctive taste and texture.
AFSH is the leading producer of eggs, point-of-lay pullets, cattle, and fish in Nigeria, with a strong commitment to produce a dual-purpose chicken to help solve the problems of poverty, and infant mortality, child malnutrition and gender inequality.
This would be achieved through a chicken which would provide meat and eggs as protein for the whole family, and primarily be reared and sold by women, thereby improving their status and decision-making power in the rural community.
As a reputable organisation, AFSH said it was poised to improve rural protein consumption and create a sustainable source of income for rural women in Africa.
Ninety-nine cows have been carted away from the farm of the late Chief Silas Daniyan, SBD Farms Limited in Mopa, headquarters of Mopa-moro local government, Kogi State.
The incident, which occurred around 7pm yesterday, has led to apprehension.One of the farm tenders, Laisi Musa, who had taken the cows out on grazing, was dealt several machete cuts by the attackers. He is at the Rehoboth Clinic and Maternity, Mopa, where doctors are battling to save his life.
A resident of Mopa, Mr. Sola Daramola, said unknown Fulani herdsmen attacked Musa, who “went on normal daily work, taking those cows for pastures toward the hill within the farm land”.
Daramola said: “They were to return at about 6pm, unfortunately he did not return. So, they were searching for him, on the instruction of his elder brother, by going through where they normallly take there cows to pasture and met him seriously macheted. His fate is in hands of God”.
