ABUJA, Nigeria — The Federal Government has secured land from the Niger State Government for a new rural development initiative intended to integrate agriculture with housing, renewable energy and enterprise development, officials said.
The land acquisition is for the Sustainable Integrated Productive Communities (SIPC) Programme, a plan aimed at establishing structured farming settlements with infrastructure and basic services.
A Certificate of Occupancy was formally handed over to the Federal Government on Thursday in Abuja, signalling Niger State’s agreement to host the pilot phase.
Officials said the programme is designed to create stable communities that strengthen agricultural value chains, expand food production and address security challenges affecting farming regions.
Doris Uzoka-Anite, the Minister of State for Finance, said the initiative was developed in response to persistent challenges in rural areas, including insecure settlements, weak infrastructure, post-harvest losses and declining youth participation in agriculture.
By providing housing, power supply, roads, water and processing facilities, she said, the programme is intended to raise productivity and reduce rural–urban migration.
Mohammed Bago, the governor of Niger State, said the state would provide 100,000 hectares for the pilot stage.
He also announced plans to deploy tractors and combined harvesters in all local government areas of the state to support farmers.
The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Mr. Raymond Omenka Omachi, said the programme would be guided by institutional oversight and transparency, and aligned with the development agenda of President Bola Tinubu, according to officials.
The SIPC Programme will be implemented through a blended financing arrangement combining public assets with private investment.
Armstrong Takang, the Managing Director of the Ministry of Finance Incorporated, said the model was structured to ensure rural communities benefited directly from the nation’s land and asset base.
With Niger State selected as the pilot location, officials said the programme was expected to draw interest from agribusiness investors, developers, financial institutions and pension funds, with the government positioning it for expansion nationwide.
