NALDA Allocates Land, Farm Support to 100 Ogun Women, Launches Climate Campaign

News in Brief:

— NALDA allocated farmland, agricultural inputs and technical support to 100 women farmers in Ogun State.

— The initiative is designed to improve household incomes by enabling women to engage in commercial vegetable production while contributing to national food security.

The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has allocated farmland and agricultural support to 100 women farmers in Ogun State under the third phase of its Green Hope Project, while launching a nationwide tree-planting campaign aimed at strengthening climate resilience and sustainable agriculture.

Speaking at the programme's flag-off in Emurin, Odogbolu Local Government Area, Ogun State, on Tuesday, NALDA Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Cornelius Adebayo, said the initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda on food security, job creation and sustainable agricultural development.

According to Adebayo, the Open Field Horticulture Programme is designed to empower women through commercial farming while increasing food production across the country.

100 Women Receive Land and Farm Inputs

Adebayo disclosed that 5,000 women are expected to benefit from the programme nationwide during its first phase, with more than 500 hectares of farmland already developed across 38 project locations in clusters ranging from five to 20 hectares.

He said Odogbolu is hosting the first batch of beneficiaries, with each of the 100 women receiving 1,000 square metres of farmland.

"Today, we are allocating 1,000 square metres of land to each of the 100 women beneficiaries in this community. The purpose is to ensure that our women can support their families financially, contribute to their children's education and improve household incomes," he said.

Beyond land allocation, Adebayo said NALDA had prepared the farmland by clearing the sites, conducting soil analysis and installing irrigation facilities ahead of cultivation.

He added that beneficiaries would receive improved seeds, fertilisers, crop protection products, farm tools, extension services, security posts, sanitary facilities and cold storage infrastructure.

"Our objective is simple: to remove the barriers that often prevent smallholder farmers from achieving optimum productivity and profitability. When women have access to productive land, quality inputs, knowledge and institutional support, they become powerful drivers of household welfare, food security and national economic growth," he added.

NALDA Targets One Million Trees by 2030

The agency also inaugurated its Youth Agroforestry and Climate Action Campaign, aimed at integrating environmental sustainability into agricultural development.

Adebayo said the initiative would begin with the planting of about 60,000 trees across the 38 Green Hope project locations, where they will serve as living perimeter fences for horticulture clusters.

He added that NALDA plans to plant more than one million trees across its horticulture projects nationwide by 2030.

"By the year 2030, NALDA is committed to planting over one million trees across our horticulture projects nationwide. This is our contribution towards building climate resilience, restoring degraded landscapes and supporting Nigeria's commitment to environmental sustainability and low-carbon agricultural development," he said.

Odogbolu Expands Farmland for Youths and Women

Chairman of Odogbolu Local Government, Dr Tunde Diya, described the area as agriculturally endowed and said the council had secured about 120 hectares of farmland to support women and youth participation in commercial agriculture.

"We have been able to secure about 120 hectares of farmland for our women and our youth so that we can feed ourselves and ensure that the agribusiness economy is fully tapped into," Diya said.

He commended the Federal Government, Ogun State Government and NALDA for selecting Odogbolu as one of the programme's beneficiaries.

Also speaking, the Special Assistant (Technical) to the NALDA Executive Secretary, Engr. Olusegun Owolabi, said the irrigated horticulture project would focus on vegetables such as tomatoes and peppers to improve beneficiaries' incomes and boost food production.

He added that participating women farmers would also receive facilities designed to improve productivity and reduce post-harvest losses.