Guaranteeing Food Security In Nigeria

The Benin-Owens River Basin Development Authority recently developed four integrated farms in Benin, Auchi, Okpe and Uneme N’Ekua. Adibe Emenyonu, who was at the inauguration, writes on aims and objectives behind the initiative

The Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority (BORBDA) integrated farms is modeled after the Songhai integrated farm in PortoNovo, Benin Republic, established by a Nigerian, Prof. Godfrey Nzamujo.

It is a farm with crops and animal husbandry like cucumber, pawpaw, okro, sweet corn, tomatoes, pepper, fish, rabbit, chicken, pig, snail and grass cutter are raised.

In the farm, nothing is wasted as the droppings from the animals are used as bio-gas as well as manure for the crops. Besides, the waste water from the fish ponds, pig pens, goat sheds, poultry droppings from the farm are used to irrigate the crops while in turn the waste from the plants is ploughed to feed the animals.

Also, grass weeds are used as much on the beds to preserve them from sun baking and conserving the moisture to enhance productivity.

It was through this innovation from Benin Republic by a Nigerian that the Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority integrated farm was conceived and birthed in line with the National Agricultural Transformation Plan of the federal government. Apart from this, the farms serve as training outlets for farmers on the nuances of integrated farming practice.

In the words of BORBDA Managing Director, Saliu Ahmed, “We have also started one in Ikole-Ekiti, Ekiti State and hope to spread to Ondo State next year because of the amazing success the farms have recorded since inception in 2017 and through the first harvest in May 2018 till date.”

Welcoming dignitaries to the inauguration, Ahmed noted that the will to established the farms was borne out of the directive of the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, asking river basins across the country to set up an integrated farm in each of the senatorial districts in every states of the country.

Against the backdrop of this directive, BORBDA, he stated, rose to the mandate and began the demarcation of a 60Ha of farmland at its headquarters in Obayantor where the first of the four integrated farms was established in 2017 with survey, clearing, delineation of internal road.

Today, the Obayantor farm boast of six hectares of core farm areas and a additional one hectare for market garden, 12 concrete fish ponds, one earthen pond, 30 piggery pen and 30 bed capacity training hostel, training classroom, a canteen, biogas unit as well as 10inch diameter borehole with a 7.5Ha pump and a 12metre high 50m3 overhead storage tank to supply water for irrigation and general services on the farm.

Following this is the construction of processing units such as drying kiln for fish and meat, cassava processing unit, and extension for piggery due to quick rise in population; a snail unit and 40Ha of cassava plantation in conjunct with a market garden for continuous production of various vegetables in rotational form.

It was gathered that the reasonable stage of development and showcase of the Obayantor farm gave birth to the the establishment of the thread other farms as various stakeholders became interested in possibility of a model farm and subsequently, funds were appropriated for the establishment of the farms at Okpe and Uneme N’Ekua with the active support of the deputy majority leader of the House of Representatives, Peter Akpatason.

Not only that, the Obayantor farm as further learnt, has not only been generating revenue for government in the past three years but has also served as training grounds and outlets for N-Power interns and some tertiary institutions on farm attachment as well as farmers from surrounding communities on extension services and modern farming methods and practices.

Similarly, the other three farms in Auchi, Okpe and Uneme N’Ekua are within 30km radius of each other and together constitute a hub for effective production, processing and training.

“On 50Ha of the 100Ha of land in Okpe and Uneme N’Ekua, we plan to aggregate 50 youth farmers in each location with support of mechanisation and inputs to farm cassava and maize respectively.

” We have also sourced and secured off-takers who will buy up their harvest when due. It is also planned that these farmers who shall be supported and continually trained shall form the nucleus to eventually take over the running and operations of the farms to guarantee sustainability”, the BORBDA boss disclosed.

Ahmed who pointed out that the Integrated farms are production, processing, service rendering and research-based centres, added that the federal government, in a bid to shift its entire focus from oil, has overtime continued to make consistent and deliberate efforts to improving on agriculture and its produce in Nigeria.

The BORBDA MD said agriculture has been identified as a key development priority in the efforts of government to increasing food security, reduce poverty and diversify the country’s economic base.

He noted that several initiatives, programmes, seminars, conferences and lectures on agriculture have overtime, been and are continuously being sponsored by the government to achieve rapid growth and fully maximise the full potentials of agriculture with the aim of achieving national food security, job and wealth creation.

According to him, “Today, the integrated farm in Obayantor has spread through to the northern parts of Edo State of Auchi, Okpe and Uneme N’Ekhua, including the one in Ikole in Ekiti State which will spread to Ondo State next year.”

He thanked the Director of Songhai Regional Centre, Prof. Godfrey Nzamujo, the Nigeria born Catholic Rev. Father whose sustained interest in development saw the establishment of the four integrated farms.

Inaugurating the farms, Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, said the ceremony is in line with the federal government policy of shifting from oil to the non oil sector of the economy with emphasis on agriculture.

He said the models farms underscored the importance the nation placed on agriculture in its quest to attain food sufficiency and exports, adding that in view of the vagaries of weather and other factors inhibiting the traditional farming methods, the Songhai Integrated farm model remains the way to go if the nation must gain food security.

“The focus of the integrated (Songhai Model) is an innovative system of agricultural production which is able to holistically integrate both primary and secondary products from the farm into good use such that there is absolutely no waste in the farm.

“The system is competitive, sustainable, preserving and incorporates human capacity building through training in basic business management and entrepreneurship necessary to prepare unemployed graduates and youths to undertake agricultural business”, the minister declared.

Expressing satisfaction with BORBDA’s commitment in carrying out his earlier charge to the 12 river basins across the country to ensure the establishment of at least one Interested Farm in each of the 109 Senatorial Districts in Nigeria, Adamu commended the authorities for playing a leading role in this regard with the establishment of four of such farms in two of the three senatorial districts in Edo State

He also appreciated the cooperation of the various host communities to BORBDA’s projects and pleaded with them to develop an attitude that would make them perceive the projects as theirs.

In his goodwill message, Prof. Nzamujo of Songhai Centre, said his interest is nothing more that progress, mutual partnership and teaching people how to grow the food they consume, predicting that with sustainability, Nigeria in the next three years would be the 3rd largest producer of fish in the world.

According to him, “Nigeria is growing in population and the only way is to continue to grow food to cater for the population.”

Similarly, the member, representing Akojo-Edo Federal Constituency, Peter Akpatason, noted that what is being done remain a major milestone to improve the living standard of Nigerians, improve the country’s economy and sufficiency in food production.

To achieve this, he enjoined everyone to go into agriculture production, away from the self-sufficiency type but to feed the stomach and at the same time improve the economy.

Quote

“The focus of the integrated (Songhai Model) is an innovative system of agricultural production which is able to holistically integrate both primary and secondary products from the farm into good use such that there is absolutely no waste in the farm”