The Niger State government has offered about 100,000 hectares of land to the Federal Government for the implementation of an integrated Mass Housing and Agricultural Settlement Project aimed at boosting food security, creating jobs and driving inclusive economic growth.
The commitment was announced by Governor Mohammed Umar Bago at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Niger State government and the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), under the anchorage of the Federal Ministry of Finance, in Abuja.
Minister of State for Finance, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, said the MoU represented a strong demonstration of cooperative federalism and strategic alignment between the Federal Government and Niger State.
She explained that while housing is a fundamental pillar of development, the Niger project deliberately connects housing with agriculture, food security and economic productivity.
“This project is designed not just as a housing intervention, but as a settlement framework for farmers aimed at strengthening agricultural value chains and improving livelihoods,” she said.
Governor Bago described the agreement as a major step towards the realisation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in the areas of food security, mass housing and poverty reduction. He said the project goes beyond policy declarations, noting that it represents a concrete effort to translate national priorities into measurable outcomes at the state level.
“This is not just a signing ceremony; it is a moment of delivery,” the governor said, adding that Niger State was prepared to serve as a pilot for a model that integrates housing development directly into farming communities.
According to him, the initiative will focus on building mass housing within agricultural settlements to enable farmers to live close to their farmlands, improve productivity and reduce insecurity. He explained that by clustering rural dwellers into structured communities with access to infrastructure, government could address challenges such as rural-urban migration, insecure settlements and post-harvest losses.
Bago said the state’s vast land, water resources and mechanisation capacity made it well-suited for the project, stressing that affordability and sustainability would guide implementation. He noted that the availability of land would support large, contiguous farm estates that allow for efficient mechanisation, irrigation and agro-processing.
The governor added that the settlements would be developed with access roads, schools, healthcare facilities, renewable energy, water systems and grazing reserves, while also supporting crop production, livestock and processing activities.
He said the model had already been tested in resettlement programmes for internally displaced persons, where families were provided with housing and farmland linked to guaranteed offtake arrangements.
Uzoka-Anite noted that Niger State is one of Nigeria’s most agriculturally endowed states, but challenges such as insecure settlements, inadequate infrastructure and rural-urban migration had continued to limit productivity. She said the integrated settlements would provide secure and well-planned communities strategically located to support agricultural production, storage, processing and access to markets.
According to her, anchoring farmers in stable communities would enhance productivity, reduce post-harvest losses, improve security and encourage youth participation in agriculture. She added that the project would also generate jobs across agriculture, construction, agro-processing, renewable energy, logistics and community services, while stimulating demand for local industries such as cement, steel and transportation.
The minister highlighted the strategic role of MOFI in the initiative, noting that the agency would deploy its expertise in asset optimisation, project structuring and private capital mobilisation. She explained that the financing model blends public assets with private investment to ensure sustainability, transparency and shared risk, while reducing fiscal pressure on government.
“This approach allows government to focus on policy coordination and oversight, while leveraging private sector efficiency and scale,” she said.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of MOFI, Dr Armstrong Takang, said the initiative was aimed at closing the gap between policy formulation and real economic impact by linking housing directly to income-generating activities.
Takang noted that agriculture remains Nigeria’s largest contributor to gross domestic product, making it critical to integrate farming communities into major development programmes. He said previous housing and energy interventions had struggled because beneficiaries lacked the income needed to sustain them.
“For housing, energy and other services to be sustainable, people must have a clear line of sight to income,” he said.
He explained that the integrated communities would provide farmland, inputs, infrastructure and access to markets, while ensuring that housing remains affordable and of good quality.
He added that each housing unit could generate at least 12 full-time jobs during construction, with additional employment coming from farming, processing and allied activities.
According to Takang, the project is designed as an impact-driven platform capable of attracting private and development finance, noting that investors are increasingly interested in scalable models backed by strong government commitment.
Governor Bago said the MoU signals Niger State’s emergence as a pilot for a national model that integrates housing, agriculture, infrastructure and private capital. Officials at the ceremony said the Federal Ministry of Finance would provide policy coordination and institutional oversight to ensure the project moves swiftly from agreement to execution.
They expressed confidence that the initiative would strengthen food security, create sustainable livelihoods, reduce poverty and contribute meaningfully to economic growth in Niger State and across Nigeria.
