In a renewed effort to tackle national food insecurity, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, has pledged to make land in satellite towns available to farmers committed to full-scale agricultural production.
Wike made the announcement on Monday in Kwali Area Council during the official opening of the A2 Junction–Pai community rural road, one of 17 key infrastructure projects inaugurated to commemorate President Bola Tinubu’s second year in office.
The Minister stressed that vast expanses of unused land in rural Abuja could be leveraged to enhance food production if placed in the hands of dedicated farmers. “We are willing to pay compensation to host communities and allocate land to real farmers. This is how we solve food insecurity,” he said.
He was, however, clear that only genuine agricultural practitioners would benefit. “We are not interested in political farmers who simply hoard land to sell later,” Wike added, criticising those who exploit agricultural schemes for speculation.
President Tinubu, also present at the ceremony, echoed the sentiment, describing the unused arable land as a “pathway to prosperity.” He expressed support for the development of ranches and grazing areas to promote both crop and livestock farming. “We will turn what used to be a liability and a source of conflict into an engine of growth,” Tinubu assured.
