Federal Gov’t Gets Niger State C-of-O To Commence 100,000-hectare Agro Revolution

The federal government has formally taken delivery of Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) from the Niger State Government to kick-start a 100,000-hectare agro-industrial development under the Sustainable Integrated Productive Communities (SIPC) programme, marking a major step in its push to tackle food insecurity, housing deficits, unemployment and rural-urban migration.

The initiative, driven by the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) in partnership with Niger State, is designed as an integrated development model that combines large-scale agriculture with affordable housing, renewable energy, water supply and rural infrastructure. It targets abandoned and underutilised lands, which will be transformed into productive and self-sustaining communities, with the first harvest projected for April 2026.

Handing over the C-of-Os in Abuja on Thursday, Niger State governor, Mohammed Bago, described the programme as a “revolutionary” intervention that aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“Niger State is the mother hen of Nigeria.

The solution for a new Nigeria and the renewed hope is found here,” Bago said. “This is a project that is going to bring a revolution to Nigeria in terms of industrialisation, agriculture, livestock, security and many other industries.”

The governor explained that the 100,000 hectares had been strategically allocated across major corridors in the state to ensure accessibility and rapid development.

According to him, 20,000 hectares are located along the Minna–Zungeru Road; another 20,000 hectares along the Lapai–Lambata Road; about 20,000 hectares along the Minna–Bida Road; over 20,000 hectares along the Lapai–Paiko Road; and more than 20,000 hectares along the Minna–Suleja Road.

“We are here to deliver the C-of-Os so that you can see and know their locations. We already have 20,000 hectares spread across 25 local governments, and we are still bringing in more local governments,” he said.

Bago linked Nigeria’s security challenges largely to unemployment and ungoverned spaces, arguing that large-scale agricultural and rural development would help address both problems. He disclosed that Niger State had gone beyond the initial land allocation by reserving up to 500,000 additional hectares for future investors, positioning the state as a major food and industrial hub.

“The bane of insecurity in Nigeria is that we have ungoverned spaces and no sustainable livelihoods,” the governor said. “When people are working and earning a living—whether in livestock, fisheries or cropping—they can pay a mortgage and own a house, unlike someone hustling endlessly in the city.”

To support the SIPC programme, Bago said the state would deploy massive mechanisation, including the provision of 10 tractors and two combined harvesters for each local government. He added that irrigation would be boosted through the state’s four hydropower dams.

“This is going to change even how we think. It will generate revenue, as people can hire tractors and pumps to prepare their land before the rainy season,” he said, noting that Niger State has about 8.4 million hectares of land, with at least three million hectares suitable for cultivation.

On her part, the Minister of State for Finance, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, stressed that the success of the programme would be judged strictly by results, not promises, insisting that the first set of crops must be harvested by April 2026.

“This is far more than a formal exchange of documents,” she said. “The true measure of success will not be the papers signed today, but the homes built, farms cultivated, jobs created and communities transformed.”

Uzoka-Anite explained that farming and housing construction would proceed simultaneously, ensuring that development timelines are not delayed. “Those building the houses are different from those farming. We must begin immediately,” she added.

She noted that SIPC addresses multiple national challenges at once, including food security, mass housing, poverty alleviation, youth employment, renewable energy and security, while aligning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly the target of delivering 1,000 housing units in every state.

According to her, the programme is structured to attract private investment through bankable project frameworks and would be replicated nationwide if successful. “This is a model that can be scaled across Nigeria. Development that truly works for the people is possible, and it starts here,” she said.

The Secretary to the Niger State Government, Abubakar Usman, assured the federal government of the state’s readiness to commence implementation, describing SIPC as a “bottom-up development model” capable of reversing rural-urban migration and changing the development narrative.

The managing director and chief executive officer of MOFI, Dr Armstrong Takang, said the programme was conceived to end the long-standing practice of government agencies operating in silos while rural poverty deepens.

“Why don’t we come together and deliver something Nigerians can actually feel, especially those outside major cities?” Takang asked. “Let us convert desolate and unproductive lands into productive communities where people can earn a living, own homes and live in safety.”

He added that by integrating agriculture, housing, power, water and security, SIPC would enable rural dwellers to finance home ownership through productive activities, reducing the pressure on major urban centres.

“Then there will be no need for everyone to fight to come to Abuja, Lagos or Kano. People can live decent lives in their local governments,” Takang said.