Finance Ministry indicators MoU with Niger govt for mass housing, agriculture settlement
Nigeria’s Finance Ministry and Niger State have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on “Mass Housing and Agricultural Settlement Mission” protecting 100,000 hectares of land within the State.
That is in accordance with data disclosed on the signing ceremony held on Friday on the Ministry of Finance headquarters in Abuja, which was attended by Nairametrics.
The undertaking, to be applied by the Ministry of Finance Integrated (MOFI) and the Niger State Authorities, is designed to combine housing improvement with agricultural productiveness underneath the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Finance.
Talking on the occasion, the Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, described the Bargain as a robust instance of cooperative federalism and strategic alignment in step with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
She famous that whereas housing is a essential pillar of improvement, it additionally intersects immediately with agriculture, meals safety, rural stability, and {economic} productiveness, notably in agrarian states like Niger.
Based on her, the initiative is structured not merely as a housing undertaking however as an agricultural settlement framework that can strengthen worth chains and enhance farmers’ livelihoods throughout the state.
Uzoka-Anite defined that Niger State, regardless of being richly endowed with agricultural assets, continues to face challenges resembling insecure settlements, rural-urban migration, and poor infrastructure.
The undertaking, she stated, seeks to handle these gaps by offering safe and well-planned housing communities strategically situated close to farms, storage services, processing centres, and markets.
“This MoU sends a transparent sign to the funding neighborhood that Niger State, working in alignment with the Federal Ministry of Finance and MOFI, is open for credible, well-structured, and impact-driven funding.”
“This initiative represents our perception that improvement works greatest when housing, agriculture, finance, and governance transfer collectively. By this partnership, we’re not simply constructing homes we’re creating secure farming communities, strengthening meals safety, and laying the muse for sustained prosperity in Niger State,” she stated.
She added that MOFI will present experience in asset optimisation, undertaking structuring, and personal capital mobilisation, whereas an revolutionary financing mannequin mixing public property with non-public funding will probably be adopted to make sure transparency, sustainability, and shared threat.
Past agriculture, the Minister disclosed that the initiative is anticipated to generate employment for engineers, builders, artisans, suppliers, and repair suppliers, whereas additionally stimulating demand in sectors resembling cement, metal, agro-processing, logistics, and transportation.
She famous that the settlements will prioritise environment friendly land use, entry roads, water options, and environmentally accountable constructing practices to assist long-term neighborhood progress.
Uzoka-Anite additionally invited builders, {financial} establishments, pension funds, actual property buyers, and agribusiness gamers to view the undertaking as a scalable mannequin that may be replicated throughout Niger State and different elements of the nation.
The Governor of Niger State, Mohammed Umaru Bago, welcomed the initiative, stressing that whereas sustainability is essential, affordability should additionally stay a precedence.
He pledged that Niger State would supply 100,000 hectares of land for the undertaking, including that the Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) for the land can be delivered by Monday.
Based on the governor, the undertaking may handle as much as 80% of the challenges limiting the state’s agricultural potential and in addition create room for organised grazing reserves for nomadic communities.
Additionally talking, the Managing Director and Chief Government Officer of MOFI, Dr. Armstrong Ume Takang described the undertaking as a mannequin initiative that aligns with what buyers are searching for when it comes to construction and viability.
Why this matter
Nigeria continues to grapple with meals insecurity, rising rural poverty, and housing deficits.
By combining mass housing with agricultural settlements, the initiative may assist stabilise rural communities, enhance farm productiveness, scale back post-harvest losses, and entice youth participation in agriculture, whereas additionally easing strain on city centres.
What it’s best to know