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From Okwe Obi, Abuja
An agro allied expert and Group Managing Director of Arzikin Noma, Michael Adeshola, has identified inaccessibility of farmlands as one of the greatest barriers to agricultural expansion.
Adeshola said until Nigeria treats food security as a national emergency, it would not achieve food sovereignty.
“Land has always been a major barrier to agricultural expansion. Agriculture employs about 65 percent of Nigeria’s population.
“Until we treat food security as a national emergency, we won’t achieve food sovereignty. But with this administration’s direction and the involvement of vibrant youth, Nigeria is on the right path to becoming a net exporter of food to Africa and the rest of the world.”
He also announced that his firm had signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) on the management of mega farm project, adding that the initiative would unite the private sector, government, and development partners to tackle food insecurity, curb inflation, and uplift smallholder farmers across Nigeria.
He reaffirmed commitment to transforming the country’s agricultural landscape through strategic partnerships and farmer empowerment.
According to him, the collaboration beginning with the opening of farmlands in Ora and to be replicated across the remaining 35 states and the FCT, marks a major step toward achieving food sovereignty and ending hunger in Nigeria.
He added that the firm operates across seven key value chains: maize, sorghum, soya, sesame, cowpea, millet, and paddy rice.
Adeshola stated that the company partners with over 500,000 model farmers across Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Gombe, Oyo, and Kwara States, among others.
“We are in the business of supporting smallholder farmers with access to finance, knowledge, climate-smart agriculture, regenerative agriculture capacity building and most importantly, guaranteed offtake to produce quality crops that meet both local and export standards,” he said.
