The Federal Government, yesterday, disclosed its plan to unveil agriculture city in Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory to engage youth in agribusiness.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, said this while reiterating government’s resolve to give a new lease of life to young people across the country with a new approach to agribusiness. Ogbeh said the Ministry have already acquired the land for multipurpose agricultural practice and clearing of the land has commenced.
He said: “We intend to launch a youth in agriculture programme, a piece of land was acquired by Aso Savings, we are entering into a partnership with Aso Savings to clear and lease out the land to young farmers.
“The whole area is 15,000 hectares, there are about 17 rivers and streams there, which we are going to dam, creating lakes and providing facilities for irrigation for all year round farming. We shall develop it into small agriculture city providing accommodation, processing and security.”
The Minister also said that the young farmers who get farming plots there will engage in fish production, poultry, livestock management and grains production. He also stated that the Ministry will subsidise the land acquisition for the youths and also engage in buy back clause of the farm products produced from the farms, thereby creating a market for the products.
Meanwhile, he said about 42 investors will flood the agricultural sector soon from the European Union to do business in the country. The Minister also said that some of the investors have expressed interest in investing massively in the Nigerian agricultural sector.
According to him (Ogbeh) the investors made their intention known during the last visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to Germany, adding that they are confident that the security challenges in Nigeria have been contained. (Financial Watch)
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