Abuja: The Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has proposed a national policy on productive land use in a bid to enhance food production, create employment opportunities, and drive economic growth. Dr. Olasetemi Thompson, Vice President of Agriculture at ACCI, articulated this vision in an open letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu, highlighting the need for a national framework termed ‘Operation No Idle Land.’ This initiative aims to promote the effective utilization of land for agriculture, agribusiness, and other sanctioned economic activities.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Thompson emphasized Nigeria’s potential, with its vast arable land, favorable climatic conditions, and a youthful population poised to propel a modern agricultural economy. However, realizing this potential necessitates adequate financing, infrastructure, technology, security, market access, and supportive government policies. The proposed initiative should concentrate on providing incentives, investment, infrastructure, technical assistance, and responsible enforcement to achieve its objectives.
Thompson suggested that landowners be encouraged to either use their properties productively or lease underutilized land to farmers, cooperatives, and investors. Organised agricultural schemes could play a role in aggregating land, capital, technology, and market access to boost productivity and reinforce value chains. He stressed that any land use measures should adhere to constitutional provisions, statutory requirements, legitimate property rights, and due process.
A coordinated national program is essential, Thompson argued, to increase domestic food production and fortify Nigeria’s resilience against food supply challenges. He envisions a collaborative effort involving federal, state, and local governments, farmers, private investors, financial institutions, research organizations, and development partners. Priority should be given to areas such as agricultural finance, irrigation, mechanization, improved seeds, and fertilizers.
Thompson also recommended enhancing extension services, research, training, technology adoption, and infrastructure for storage, processing, and rural transportation. Ensuring adequate security for farming communities, agricultural investments, and supply routes is crucial for sustainable food production. Nigeria, he noted, could learn from countries that have successfully integrated technology, research, logistics, cooperative farming, processing, and export development into their agricultural practices.
A national digital land audit and mapping exercise was proposed to identify underutilized land and support investment and development planning. Establishing land banks and agricultural clusters could unite farmers, cooperatives, investors, and agro-processors within integrated production systems. Incentives to encourage productive land use and improve access to finance, infrastructure, technical support, and markets were also recommended.
Thompson advocated deliberate support for youth and women participation through improved access to land, finance, technology, training, and market opportunities. Public-private partnerships could attract investment into large-scale food production, agro-processing, and agricultural value chains. Transparent monitoring of the program, using targets such as hectares cultivated, food output, jobs created, investments attracted, and reductions in post-harvest losses, was also emphasized.
Finally, Thompson called on the Federal Government to convene a national stakeholders’ summit to develop a practical, legally sound, and sustainable framework for productive land use and food security.