The Niger State government has offered to pilot programme of the planned 500,000 hectares of agricultural production announced by President Bola Tinubu in his New Year message.
Governor Mohammed Bago said this after a meeting with President Tinubu in Abuja at the weekend.
Bago said Niger State is now the leading state in terms of the food security initiative of the president as it has already started the implementation of a total of 250,000 hectares dry season farming.
“We’ve already signed an agreement with some companies for off-take and just to keep him up to speed with what we’re doing in agriculture,” he said on his visit to the president.
“Niger State has also provided itself as a pilot state for that project, and that we are also ambitious to also match with the federal government 500,000 for 500,000.
“President Tinubu is positive about it, he is very delighted and happy with what we’re doing and he has given us his blessing and encouragement,” he said.
On insecurity affecting farmers’ desire to return to their farms in the state, Governor Bago said they were already back at the farms.
