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NALDA Establishes Mega Farms In 4 States

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By Felicia Imohimi

 

The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) says it has established the Renewed Hope Mega Farm Estate in Ekiti, Kwara, Bauchi and Plateau states to improve service delivery to farmers across the country.

 

The Executive Secretary of NALDA, Mr Cornelius Adebayo, disclosed this in Abuja while presenting an overview of the authority’s achievements in the past two years.

 

Adebayo said NALDA was targeting the establishment of mega farm estates across the six geopolitical zones to address challenges affecting agricultural production and create modern farming communities.

 

He explained that the mega farms, designed as clusters of farmers, would cover about 5,000 hectares per location.

 

“This initiative provides solutions to many problems in agriculture because having farmers in one place helps us serve them better, especially regarding security.

 

“One of the challenges is that you cannot provide every citizen with a policeman, but if you have 1,000 farmers in one place, NALDA can approach the Inspector-General of Police for the deployment of security personnel,” he said.

 

Adebayo said the Nigerian Police Trust Fund was partnering with the authority to construct police stations within the farm estates, adding that this would facilitate the deployment of security personnel to protect farmers.

 

He added that NALDA would also collaborate with security agencies, including agro-rangers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), as well as engage vigilantes to support security operations in the estates.

 

He said the authority had deployed more than 20 rangers to its farm estate in Ekiti to ensure the safety and comfort of farmers.

 

According to him, each farmer in the cluster is allocated five hectares of farmland, with a target of enabling farmers to earn between N12 million and N13 million per farming season.

 

The NALDA boss said the authority was engaging the Enugu State Government for the establishment of a mega farm estate in the South-East, while discussions were ongoing with Edo and Bayelsa governments for similar projects in the South-South.

 

“President Bola Tinubu’s vision of building modern farming communities through clusterisation informed the Renewed Hope Mega Farm Estate initiative to provide better services and economic opportunities.

 

“This current season, we are planting and cultivating in Bauchi, Kwara and Ekiti states.

 

“At the moment, we have sub-clusters of 1,000 hectares within the mega farm estates,” he said.

 

Adebayo said NALDA was partnering with the private sector to provide irrigation facilities for farmers, adding that farmers would pay per hectare through aggregators to safeguard their investments.

 

“We are building the sector for private-sector participation. These solutions can sustain themselves because it is not government-based or government-focused alone.

 

“We are only providing the enabling environment, while the anchor of the cluster will be private-sector aggregators,” he said.

 

He said NALDA’s focus was on developing agricultural infrastructure, including land development and clearing, to support sustainable farming.

 

“President Tinubu believes strongly in infrastructure, and NALDA is positioning itself to provide the needed infrastructure to develop the agricultural sector in terms of land development, clearing and other areas.

 

“Within each of the farm estates, we have provided kitchens and other facilities to ensure the comfort of farmers,” he said. (NAN) www.nannews.ng

 

FUA/TAK

 

Edited by Tosin Kolade

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“Herdsmen sent a threat letter to me” – Reverend Dachomo alleges

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Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo, Regional Chairman of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area in Plateau State has said he has received a threatening letter from suspected Fulani herdsmen vowing to attack and kill him along with members of his household.

Dachomo made the disclosure in a video shared on his X account, following fresh attacks on communities in the state by suspected armed herdsmen.

He claimed the letter, written in both Hausa and English, was sent by the herdsmen and that copies have been distributed to heads of various security agencies in the state.

In the video, the cleric quoted the letter’s senders as saying they would kill him and nine members of his household, just as they allegedly killed nine of his relatives.

Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo
Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo

“A few days ago, Fulani herdsmen sent a threatening letter to me and to members of my church. The letter was written in both Hausa and English, and its message was terrifying.

“They vowed to attack me and kill me soon, just as they killed nine of my relatives. Copies of these threatening letters have already been handed over to the security operatives,” Dachomo said.

Despite the threats, Dachomo said he remains unafraid, placing his life in God’s hands.

“Many people have asked me if I am afraid. My answer is no. I am not afraid because my life is in the hands of Almighty God,” he stated.

Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo
Rev Dachomo in Plateau community

“The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do unto me?”

The reverend recounted the profound personal losses he has endured from recent attacks, describing the pain of conducting burials for loved ones and comforting families who lost parents and relatives.

“I know what it means to bury those I love. I know what it means to wipe the tears of children who watched their parents murdered. I know what it means to stand before grieving families whose only crime was refusing to deny Jesus Christ,” he said.

“Now they say I will be next. But I ask the world, what is my crime? Is my crime that I speak for widows who have no voice? Is my crime that I cry for orphaned children whose parents were murdered? Is my crime that I tell the stories of persecuted Christians in Nigeria so the world will not forget them?”

“If that is my crime, then I will continue until my last breath,” Dachomo added.

He emphasized that killing him would not silence the truth. The cleric called on the world to remember the victims and support justice for persecuted Christians.

“Remember the widows. Remember the orphans. Remember the innocent Christians who continue to suffer simply because of their faith. Stand with us in prayer. Stand with us in truth. Stand with us in demanding justice for every innocent life,” he urged.

“If one day my voice is silenced, let the world remember that I never carried a weapon. My only weapon was the truth. My only mission was to defend the persecuted.”

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BREAKING: Court strikes out suit seeking recognition of Turaki-led PDP national leadership

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A Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out a suit seeking to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to recognise and publish the names of the Kabiru Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Justice Salim Ibrahim, in a judgement delivered on Friday, held that the plaintiffs, led by the Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Senator Adolphus Wabara, lacked the legal standing to institute the suit and consequently struck it out for want of jurisdiction.

The court upheld the preliminary objection filed by INEC and sustained similar objections raised by parties seeking to be joined in the suit, ruling that the plaintiffs failed to establish that INEC had recognised the purported Interim National Working Committee or that they had the authority to sue on behalf of the PDP.

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