The Federal Government’s drive for agricultural self-sufficiency hit a major milestone on Saturday as the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) officially launched the 5,000-hectare “Renewed Hope” Mega Farm Estate in Ora, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The project, which is the pioneer take-off site for the initiative in Nigeria, began with a high-level stakeholders’ engagement and sensitization programme designed to prepare local farmers for Phase 1 of the massive cultivation cycle.
Addressing a town hall meeting of community leaders and farmers, the Executive Secretary and CEO of NALDA, Engr. Cornelius Oluwasegun Adebayo FNSE described the estate as a physical manifestation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision to transform the rural economy.
Engr. Adebayo revealed that the Ora cluster is designed to engage 5,000 farmers, with each managing five hectares.
“This initiative has the capacity to generate direct and indirect employment for up to 10,000 people across the value chain, from mechanization and logistics to trading,” he stated.
To ensure immediate results, the CEO announced the deployment of an initial fleet of 10 tractors to the Ora site, with specialized focus on large-scale soybean production for both local consumption and international export.
Responding to concerns regarding the safety of farmers, Engr. Adebayo unveiled a robust, multi-layered security framework. The estate will be protected by a combination of Agro-Rangers, local hunters, and state security agencies, bolstered by the deployment of advanced drone technology for real-time surveillance of the 5,000-hectare expanse.
The visit began at the palace of the Olora of Ora, HRM Oba Rilwan Olawale Aremu Yekini Sakonbari I, where the monarch presented the NALDA boss with symbolic gifts, including a life goat and traditional items, in appreciation for facilitating the gigantic project in the community.
“This is a long-awaited intervention that will change the face of our town forever,” the monarch said during his goodwill message.
This development has further confirmed that President Tinubu is focused on making life meaningful and better for Nigerians, the monarch added urging people to keep supporting him with patience and prayers, the monarch added urging the community to embrace the opportunity.
On his part, the Executive Chairman of Ifelodun Local Government, Hadji Femi Yusuf alongside APC federal constituency aspirant, Engr. Azeez Olaniyan, representative from the State Ministry of Agriculture, Traditional Ruler, among others joined the NALDA team for an on-site inspection.
They witnessed engineers and workers already active on the field, signaling the formal commencement of operations.
The Chairman in his remarks commended NALDA for their thoughtfulness in citing the project in Ifelodun specifically Ora.
Hadji Femi Yusuf added that he has been involved in the project since the commencement of the site inspection and picked utmost interest in ensuring the project becomes a success story adding that the project is now people’s project and all hands must be on desk to ensure it actualization.
He further urged the community to support the team, engineers and the Principal Partner of the project, Arzikin Noma Africa in order to achieve the desired results noting that the success of the project is a direct response to solving the imminent security problems facing the Local Government.
The Group Managing Director of Arzikin Noma Africa, Mr. Michael Adeshola Adeoluwa, confirmed that as the principal partner, the firm would provide input financing and mechanization services through a structured cost-recovery model, ensuring the project remains commercially viable and sustainable.
The launch sparked widespread excitement among residents of Ora and surrounding villages with community members expressing their relief at the mechanization aspect of the project.
A community member noted that for years, they have farmed with hoes and cutlasses, and their children were leaving for the city.
“With these tractors and the security NALDA is providing, many of our youths are ready to return to the farm. This is the hope we have been waiting for” He added.
Similarly, another member of the community lauded the aggregator model, adding “Knowing that there is a private partner like Arzikin Noma Africa to provide inputs and buy back our harvests gives us confidence. We won’t have to worry about our crops wasting in the bush anymore.”
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9japarrot reports that with the Ora Town project now operational, NALDA is expected to replicate this mega-farm model in states like Ekiti, Bauchi, and Plateau, as the nation intensifies its battle against food inflation and insecurity.
