NALDA to up-scale wheat production by 27million metric tonnes

Targets to crash prices, drastically reduce importation

The National Agricultural Lands Development Authority, NALDA, Monday, disclosed to up-scale wheat production by 2.7 million metric tonnes to crash high prices and importation.

This was made known by the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, CEO, NALDA, Prince Paul Ikonne, during a courtesy visit by the Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa, at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.

Ikonne said the huge potential for wheat production and processing in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized because it is overwhelming, because Nigeria is blessed with the land, weather, manpower and market to lead in the global market if all hands must be on deck to change the narrative of massive importation of wheat into the country.

He further stated that the Buhari-led administration is posies to achieve massively in wheat production, hence farmers and investors should take advantage of this opportunity and prospects to create wealth through wheat production.

According to him, the plan and effort by the Authority to expand wheat production is to grant Nigerians access to Nigeria quality  flour.

Meanwhile, he maintained that the projected  wheat target is achievable based on the potential Nigeria has coupled with farmers’ resilience already demonstrated in wheat production.

He said: “This is very important because nature has also made it that it is very urgent for Nigeria to take advantage of what is happening in the world towards producing our own wheat, maize and other crops.

“We have the potential, the manpower, good weather and others. President Muhammadu Buhari has resuscitated NALDA to make sure we get the land, get people motivated and make our farmers get back to farming.

“We have procured some processing machines so that it will be easy for farmers to start wheat processing. The small and big flour Mills also need the raw materials.

“We have resolved in Gombe and with the Governor’s visit, we can do more, the Governor has pledged 4,500 hectares for our aggressive production that NALDA is collaborating with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the result we got shows that it’s achievable.”

He also explained that NALDA has divided its plant projects into two segments, which are working with universities in the country on one side and to get land for food production on the other hand.

Meanwhile, according to him (Ikonne) NALDA currently is works with the Federal Ministry of Education through the Minister, Adamu Adamu, on acquiring 30,000 hectares of unused land from universities for food production, which will used for production of maize, cassava and wheat.

He added that, “As we speak, we are clearing 100 hectares land in Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) Imo State.

“We already have 100 hectares of land at University of Agriculture, Umudike, and we have already cleared and planted plantain at one of the universities in Aba, Abia State.

” We are grateful to God and we thank President Buhari for his mindset of putting Nigerians on the path of sustainability for the country to be food sufficient.”

While, responding, Governor Inuwa lauded NALDA’s doggedness and resilience following its effort towards achieving food security within this short time of its existence.

Inuwa maintained that Gombe has embraced, keyed in, and in line with the wheat target as harvest has already commenced in the State.

“We cultivated 200 of wheat this year and the result is good, that is why we are working with NALDA  to expand our production. With the recent development of the Russian – Ukraine war, we need to do more to stop importation of wheat.”

He also promised to expand and sustain wheat production in the State, and added that more people coming into the wheat value chain Nigeria in no distant time will attain self-sufficiency in wheat.

“Gombe is an agrarian state, 80 per cent of the people are into agriculture.

“We are ready to add value from production to processing”, he said.