The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has established a greenhouse farming initiative aimed at boosting vegetable production, empowering young people, and supporting women farmers across Nigeria.
Speaking during an inspection visit to the greenhouse farm at the University of Abuja, NALDA’s Executive Secretary/CEO, Engr. Cornelius Adebayo, said the project approved by President Bola Tinubu was designed to address the country’s long-standing challenges with vegetable production and distribution.
“The greenhouse project is in three phases because we realised that one of the major problems we have with vegetables is that we depend too much on seasonal production,” Engr. Adebayo explained.
“We approached Mr President for approval, which he graciously gave, for mega high-tech greenhouses across the country.”
According to him, the project involves the establishment of three high-tech, temperature-controlled greenhouses in strategic locations nationwide, alongside several net-house greenhouses in Abuja and Ogun State.
“In Giri, Abuja, we have about 20 units with one nursery. In Shagamu, Ogun State, we have 30 units with another nursery.
“Each site also includes a packing house for cleaning and packaging produce, cold storage facilities, and full solar energy functionality.”
Adebayo explained that the idea behind the greenhouse clusters is to make vegetables available closer to consumers and reduce the high cost of transportation and post-harvest losses.
“The greenhouses are strategically located to serve major markets like Abuja and Lagos,” he said. “We are also supporting other greenhouse owners around Shagamu and Epe to increase their capacity.”
He noted that the facilities will be managed by young farmers, with each youth allocated two net houses to operate as independent agripreneurs under NALDA’s supervision.
He said: “Most of these facilities will be handed over to young people who understand how to run them. The idea is to engage youth productively while ensuring food availability.”
The second layer of the initiative targets women farmers, who will engage in open-field vegetable cultivation across federal constituencies.
“We plan to do a minimum of 10 hectares of open-field vegetable farming per federal constituency,” Adebayo revealed.
“For every 10 hectares, 100 women will be allocated plots for pepper, tomatoes, and greens. We’re providing land clearing, irrigation, packing houses, and cold storage to support them.”
The NALDA boss disclosed that 16 pilot locations including Cross River, Taraba, Plateau, and Gombe are already undergoing land clearing, with irrigation systems and other infrastructure to follow.
He added that the Abuja greenhouse farm will be launched and fully operational by December 2025, while other sites are scheduled to follow early next year.
“By December, this facility will be fully functional,” he confirmed. “We’ve already started enlisting farmers to manage the structures, and our officials will monitor compliance with best practices.”
Addressing safety concerns, Adebayo clarified that greenhouse farming is entirely safe and organic.
He said: “It’s just atmospheric condition control. It’s normal, very safe, and cleaner. Plants simply need the right environment to thrive, and that’s what we’re providing. This allows year-round vegetable production.”
He also emphasised that the initiative is not a loan scheme but a government-backed empowerment programme designed to remove infrastructural barriers that hinder farmers.
“At NALDA, we believe that if you can solve infrastructural problems for farmers, you’ve solved most of their problems. Government is not in the business of business; our job is to create the environment for business to thrive,” he stated.
On the number of beneficiaries, Adebayo said at least 10 young farmers would operate the first 20 greenhouses in Abuja, with plans to expand to 50 units in both Abuja and Shagamu. He appealed to state governments and communities to provide more land to scale the project.
He further explained that NALDA’s model is designed to ensure price stability for vegetables through structured clusters and coordinated offtake arrangements.
He said: “When you have a big enough cluster, you can manage price control indirectly. We know the cost of production, what the offtaker earns, and what we expect to see in the market. That way, we can help stabilise prices without imposing government price controls.”
He added that the initiative aligns with NALDA’s broader vision to decentralise food production, reduce post-harvest losses, and promote urban agriculture near major cities.
“Outside every major city in the world, you see clusters of greenhouses supplying that city. As the giant of Africa, we should do no less. Our goal is to ensure that fresh vegetables are available and affordable for Nigerians year-round,” he said.
The NALDA greenhouse project will produce tomatoes, peppers, avocados, and other vegetables, with training opportunities for interested youths through collaborations with universities and agricultural departments.
“You don’t need a master’s degree to manage a greenhouse. You just need passion and proper training and NALDA will provide that,” Adebayo said.
He further noted that the initiative demonstrates NALDA’s commitment to empowering youth and women, boosting food security, and strengthening Nigeria’s agricultural resilience.
