The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has begun implementing a large-scale greenhouse farming initiative designed to strengthen vegetable production, expand youth participation in agribusiness and empower women farmers.
The project aimed to address Nigeria’s persistent challenges of seasonal vegetable supply, post-harvest losses and the high cost of transporting fresh produce across long distances.
During an inspection visit to the Yakubu Gowon University (formaly University of Abuja) greenhouse cluster on Wednesday, NALDA’s executive-secretary, Dr Cornelius Adebayo, explained that the initiative represented a deliberate shift toward high-technology agriculture capable of sustaining year-round production.
He said the project aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s agenda for transformative agricultural.
According to him, the programme will be implemented in three phases, beginning with the construction of modern temperature-controlled greenhouses in Abuja and Ogun State. Each site will feature a nursery, a produce packing house, cold storage facilities, and solar energy systems to ensure full self-sufficiency.
He explained that 20 greenhouse units and a nursery have been established in Giri, Abuja, while another 30 are being completed in Shagamu, Ogun State. The facilities, he said, are strategically located to serve the major vegetable markets in Abuja and Lagos, reducing dependence on seasonal farming and imported produce.
The project also introduces a youth-driven operational model. Each greenhouse cluster will be managed by young farmers, who will receive hands-on training and NALDA supervision before operating independently as agripreneurs.
At least 10 youths are expected to manage the first set of 20 greenhouses in Abuja, with a target to expand to 50 units in both Abuja and Shagamu by 2026.
The second phase of the initiative focuses on empowering women through open-field vegetable cultivation across federal constituencies. NALDA plans to allocate a minimum of ten hectares of land in each constituency to women farmers, supported with irrigation infrastructure, clearing services, and post-harvest facilities.
For every 10 hectares, 100 women will be supported to cultivate pepper, tomatoes, and leafy greens. He disclosed that land preparation is already underway in sixteen pilot states including Cross River, Taraba, Plateau, and Gombe.
“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. We approached Mr President for approval, which he graciously gave, for mega high-tech greenhouses across the country.”
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.”
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 said.
He emphasised that the programme is not a loan or credit scheme, but a government-supported intervention to remove structural barriers that hinder smallholder productivity.
Under the project, NALDA will cultivate crops such as tomatoes, peppers, avocados, and other vegetables. The Authority also plans to collaborate with universities and agricultural departments to provide continuous training for young farmers interested in controlled-environment agriculture.
The Abuja greenhouse cluster is scheduled for commissioning by December 2025, while other locations will come on stream in early 2026. NALDA officials will oversee farm management and ensure adherence to best agricultural practices.
