The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has commissioned 120 housing units and an empowerment centre for farmers in Borno State.
The facility which is located in Zawiya and Dustman villages in Borno State currently boast of a clinic, a school for farmers’ children, a worship centre, solar powered boreholes and access roads.
The facility also has fish ponds, poultry houses, goats pens in its production area, raffia and an already finished empowerment centre where women and youths would undergo training.
The beneficiaries were drawn from the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP’s) camp in the state.
The executive-secretary of NALDA, Prince Paul Ikonne, while launching the centre alongside governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum in Maiduguri, explained that the initiative was to encourage young Nigerians to venture into agriculture.
Ikonne explained that NALDA was already in touch with farmers who would be supported with inputs and in turn, train budding agriculturists.
He pointed out that each state would benefit from the scheme while calling on state governments to utilise the scheme as a means to create jobs for the teeming population.
Speaking on the NALDA’s empowerment centres, Ikonne disclosed that the centres would have fishery poultry, animal husbandry and raffia grass fields all aimed at job creation.
He said, “The importance of these agriculture empowerment centres is to create job opportunities and also encourage young Nigerians to go into agriculture.
We will be more delighted to have it done with corporate or individuals so that it will be anchored around them and the farm will be managed by them while we empower the youth from the proceeds that come from there.
In addition, he pointed out that the farmers would be recruited in trenches, saying “we are looking at 250,000 young Nigerians across the country, to empower them in different fields in the first phase. It is going to be a continuous phase.”
Speaking after inaugurating NALDA’s rural housing scheme, Zulum commended Ikonne for choosing Borno to execute such Projects, noting that it will Contribute to the economic development of the state.
The governor said he was ready to provide lands for investors who are interested in agriculture.
He added that the initiative would assist mostly returning Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who have been battered by bandits and terrorists over the years.
