Niger offers to pilot FG’s planned cultivation of 500,000 hectares

Niger offers to pilot FG’s planned cultivation of 500,000 hectares

The Niger State Government has offered to pilot federal government’s planned 500,000 hectares of agricultural production announced by President Bola Tinubu in his New Year message.

Governor Mohammed Bago said this after a meeting with President Tinubu in Abuja.

A statement issued in Abuja by the governor’s media office quoted  Bago as saying that Niger is now the leading state in terms of the food security initiative of the president as it has already started the implementation of a total of 250,000 hectares of dry season farming.

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“We have already signed an agreement with some companies for off-take. This is just to keep him up to speed with what we are doing in agriculture,” he said on his visit to the president.

Speaking on partnering with the federal government, the governor said, “Niger has also provided itself as a pilot state for that project. We are also ambitious to match the federal government 500,000 for 500,000.

“President Tinubu is positive about it. He is very delighted with what we are doing and he has given us his blessing and encouragement.”

On insecurity affecting farmers’ desire to return to their farms in the state, Governor Bago said, “They are already back at the farm.”

Niger offers to pilot FG’s planned cultivation of 500,000 hectares