Boosting Food Security in Nasarawa 

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in his October 1, 2024 address marking the 64th independence anniversary of Nigeria, commended Governor Abdullahi Sule for embracing the agricultural production programme of his administration aimed at boosting food security in the country, writes Igbawase Ukumba

In compliance with the agricultural production programme of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,  the Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, gave local farmers in the state the opportunity in form of employment and outgrower scheme in order for the state to fulfill its mandate as one of the states selected for the food security initiative under President Tinubu administration.

All things been equal, the administration of Governor Abdullahi Sule has no intention of taking away farmlands from local farmers, but the local farmers stand to benefit from his agricultural project. His plan is to work out with the local farmers and do what is called outgrower scheme.

That was what the governor did in Jangwa called “Outgrower Programme”. The idea is not to take away the land from local farmers. The idea is to ensure that local farmers are given the opportunity in form of employment and outgrower scheme. That means they can be given fertilizers, chemicals, tractors and seedlings. When they harvest, they have a ready market. The Nasarawa State government is the buyer.

Therefore, the Nasarawa State government cultivated about 10,000 hectares of land as part of initiatives to boost food security in the country. The governor had inspected progress of work on the portion of land earmarked for the food security programme at Jangwa in Awe Local Government Area of the state.

Speaking to journalists shortly after the inspection, the governor, however, said his administration has no intention of taking away farmlands from local farmers, but that the local farmers stand to benefit from the project.

“Our plan is to work out with them, and do what we call outgrower scheme. Even here (Jangwa) we are going to do some outgrower programme. The idea is not to take away the land from local farmers.

*The idea is to ensure that local farmers are given the opportunity in form of employment and outgrower scheme. That means they can be given fertilizers, chemicals, tractors and seedlings. When they harvest, they have a ready market. We are the buyers,” he stated.

While expressing satisfaction with the progress of work on the site, Governor Sule pointed out that Nasarawa State was among the states selected for the food security initiative under the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.

“This is our farm in Jangwa already in the process of being tilled. We are going to apply fertilizers in the next two or three days, and by that time, we will be able to harrow the field. In fact, we are harrowing and planting seeds at the same time,” Sule maintained.

As harvesting season for rice beckons, Governor Abdullahi Sule had recently visited the state-owned Jangwa rice farm in Awe Local Government Area as part of preparations towards harvesting the farm . Sule, who inspected the farm, expressed satisfaction with the quality and quantity of rice being cultivated on the farm.

The governor was confident that the Jangwa rice farm would be harvested latest by the first week of November. He also expressed satisfaction with the yield on the farm, projecting a bumper harvest of over 8 tones per hectre. 

Speaking with journalists shortly after a tour of the farm, Sule emphasized on the purpose of the visit which afforded him the opportunity to see things for himself preparatory to the harvest.

“We started this work somewhere around May and it is actually six months, that is 180 days rice. We are just about to start harvesting and I believe strongly that before we start, I needed to come to the farm to make sure that everything is okay for us to start harvesting so we can get our best yield,” he stated.

He was particularly excited about the quantity of rice expected from the harvest.

“This is because we are very conservative with our calculations. We calculated a yield of about 6 tones per hectre. But from all indications, we are looking at something more than 8 tones per hectre,” he said.

The Governor took out time to speak on the line of activities expected at the Jangwa farm, particularly that the government was working to cultivate rice on the farm twice a year.

“We are hoping that we can finish our harvesting this October or maybe early November. Immediately we finished harvesting, we are going to start land preparations. Once we are through with the land preparations, then we are getting ready to start another planting. 

“We are hoping that throughout the period of Christmas, that is the period that we will do most of our planting and hopefully conclude before the middle of January.

“If that happened, by the grace of God, then it’s time for us to ensure that we go ahead and think of another planting in the month of May. We are working on two-season rice farming on this location,” he concluded.

In a separate interview with THISDAY, a member of the Jangwa community, Mr Ogya Okugya, said the Nasarawa State government rice farm project would address poor land use practices of the community.

For Usman Faruk, a farmer in Lafia Local Government Area of the state, “for us in Nasarawa State, this is historic because it is perfectly in line with the need to supporting farmers in the state”.

He, therefore, commended the Nasarawa State governor for dispensing an opportunity to ensure that Nasarawa people depart from hunger and poverty.

“Nasarawa people have not seen this huge intervention. The coming of the intervention would liberate the people from hunger and porverty levels. We are eternally grateful,” Faruk noted.