National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) and the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) have signed a memorandum of understanding to engage refugees, migrants and displaced persons in agricultural production.

NALDA executive secretary Cornelius Adebayo said at the Abuja event on Wednesday that the MoU was under the Renewed Hope Restoration Project.

Mr Adebayo explained that the project was designed to enhance the agricultural value chain among refugees, migrants, and IDPs to provide sustainable income and food security.

He said the project will empower refugees, migrants and IDPs to engage in agricultural production and contribute to economic development actively.

“The project will provide vocational training on modern farming techniques, access to land, inputs, financing, equipment, and infrastructural development, as well as facilitate market linkage and technical support.

“It will also help the targeted beneficiaries to transform challenges into opportunities, turn barren fields into fertile grounds for growth, prosperity, hope and break the cycle of dependency,” Mr Adebayo stated.

The NALDA boss said the authority was on a mission to empower people through agriculture in line with President Bola Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’.

He said, “Today, we are extending that mission to those who have been displaced by conflicts, disaster and hardship.”

Also, Aliyu Ahmed, NCFRMI’s federal commissioner, said the project would usher in a new beginning in the quest to provide sustainable solutions to challenges affecting IDPs and refugees in the country.

Mr Ahmed noted that agriculture remained the mainstay of the nation’s economy, adding that it contributes more than 65 per cent of its GDP. He added that the sector fostered economic development, increased local market participation, and enhanced food security and nutrition.

He explained that under the MoU, NALDA would be responsible for providing arable land for farming, while NCFRMI would organise about 6.4 million IDPs to be engaged in agricultural production.

“We are confident that this collaboration will be mutually beneficial to all,” he said.

(NAN)