The aim is to ensure that the giant strides already made in agriculture under the current administration were sustained.
President Muhammadu Buhari has directed National Land Development Authority (NALDA) to establish integrated farm estates in all the senatorial districts to boost food production across the country.
Executive Secretary of the agency, Mr Paul Ikonne, who disclosed this to State House correspondents on Sunday, said that the directive was part of the outcome of his meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja.
According to him, the president has inaugurated one of such integrated farms in Daura, Katsina, adding that NALDA is poised to accomplish the remaining 108 farms, in line with the presidential directive.
He said that the aim was to ensure that the giant strides already made in agriculture under the current administration were sustained.
The NALDA boss, therefore, urged state governments to partner with NALDA to achieve the goal by donating land for the integrated farms in their respective domains.
He expressed the hope that the scheme would help the country generate more employment and attain food security.
Ikonne added that the president had directed NALDA to put up the integrated farm estates in the remaining 108 senatorial districts.
According to him, the recent presidential inauguration of Daura Integrated Farm Estate, with the capacity to engage 1,500 young farmers, was an eye opener to Nigerians regarding Buhari’s passion of achieving food security in the country.
He said that arrangements were already on by NALDA to put up processing centres in all the farm estates, to discourage importation of finished products.
“What the president is doing and the foundation he is laying in agriculture are what Nigerians will live to remember him for.
“No other government has done as much as the president has done in agriculture and that is why Nigeria is getting close to sustaining food sufficiency.
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