Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture Abubakar Kyari (right) with the CEO of Origin Tech Prince Samuel Joseph Samuel, April 2024 (Photo: X)Blueprint | 17 December 2024Nigeria: Federal government allocates 4, 000 hectares to group for agriculture in Ejiba
by Umar Bayo Abdulwahab
The federal government through the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority (LNRBDA) Ilorin, Tuesday, formally allocated 4,000 hectares of farmland to origin tech group to carry out mechanised agriculture in Ejiba, Kogi state, in line with national food security agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
The firm is to use the land for increased all year round agriculture purposes and water development for a period of 5 years tenure which is also renewable.
Speaking at the execution of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the firm and the management of LNRBDA in Ilorin, the managing director, Dr. Adeniyi Saheed Aremu, said the MoU signed with the firm captured three priority areas out the eight Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu which includes food security, ending poverty, economic growth and job creation.
He said the basin had earlier allocated 500 hectare of farmland to origin tech group which they had used judiciously in growing cowpea which prompted the authority to allocate another 4,000 hectares for similar purposes.
“We want to move a step further to 4,000 hectares to be used for the benefit of Nigerians in line with Mr. President’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” he said.
The chairman, origin tech group, Prince S. J Samuel who was represented at the event by the group’s director programmes, Dr. Musa Olasupo, said the group has concluded arrangement with its Chinese partner to train 5,000 youth on equipment handling, and repairs” in addition to creating jobs for them and boosting economic activities of the areas through all year round agriculture activities.
