The Federal Government will provide up to N2bn in financing to each of 40 tertiary institutions to set up commercial farms under the Renewed Hope Tertiary Agricultural and Entrepreneurship Programme.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Tuesday at a meeting with heads of the institutions and the management of the Bank of Agriculture.
According to Attah Ikharo, Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the minister, the programme will put more than 500,000 hectares of underused land in tertiary institutions to work for commercial farming, research and enterprise development.
Each participating university, polytechnic or college of education is expected to provide about 1,000 hectares. Institutions with smaller landholdings may still qualify, depending on the viability of their proposals.
Alausa said every institution will form a limited liability company to partner with the Bank of Agriculture, which will provide between N1bn and N2bn for farm production and related inputs.
He explained that the plan builds on earlier interventions by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, which approved N1bn for some institutions and N2bn for others. The Federal Ministry of Education has also earmarked N20bn in its capital budget to support 20 institutions under the programme.
On mechanisation, the minister said each institution will have access to 10 tractors at reduced costs. Seedlings, farm implements, irrigation equipment, water pumps, fertilisers and technical support will also be provided.
He added that arrangements will be made with produce aggregators to buy harvested crops and cut down post-harvest losses.
The programme will also encourage processing and other agro-allied activities, creating an agricultural value chain within the institutions.
Students, unemployed graduates, alumni, staff and members of host communities will be encouraged to take part in the farming under the supervision of lecturers and agricultural experts.
According to Alausa, this will give participants practical experience, promote entrepreneurship and allow them to share in the revenue the farms generate.
He projected that the programme could attract investments worth trillions of naira in the coming years and turn tertiary institutions into centres of agricultural innovation and commercial production.
The Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof. Adamu Ahmed, said the initiative will help the university turn its agricultural research into commercial production. He pointed to the Institute of Agricultural Research, the National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services and the Faculty of Agriculture as structures that can support it.
The Rector of Federal Polytechnic Oko, Dr Chioma Irene Awuzie, said the programme will help the institution make the most of its land through mechanised farming.
The Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture, Ayo Sotinrin, said the bank will provide financing and market linkages to commercialise agricultural research, boost productivity and open opportunities for students and unemployed graduates.
He added that participating institutions could contribute to food supply beyond their immediate communities while earning revenue from their farms.
Digital Operations Manager at The Students Forum Nigeria.
