The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has pledged to allocate farmland in satellite towns to genuine farmers as part of efforts to combat food insecurity across the region.
Wike made the announcement on Monday during the commissioning of a newly constructed rural road connecting the A2 Junction (Abuja–Lokoja Expressway) to Pai community in Kwali Area Council. The road is one of 17 infrastructure projects inaugurated by President Bola Tinubu to mark his second year in office.
Speaking at the event, Wike said the new road would open up rural communities to economic opportunities, especially in agriculture.
He expressed concern over the underutilized arable land in the FCT and emphasized the administration’s willingness to provide land for agricultural purposes.
“With these vast lands, those who are truly interested in farming will be supported. We are ready to pay compensation to communities and allocate land for cultivation. This is one of the ways we can address food insecurity,” Wike said.
He, however, warned that only committed farmers, not land speculators or “political farmers”,would benefit from the initiative.
President Bola Tinubu, who also spoke at the event, noted the untapped agricultural potential of satellite towns and stressed the need for establishing ranches and rural infrastructure to support farmers.
“On our way here, we saw prosperity in the making. There is an urgent need to support our farmers and livestock owners by creating grazing opportunities and transforming what used to be conflict triggers into sources of economic growth,” Tinubu stated.
