The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Agbeyewa Farms Limited to launch a joint venture partnership for land development and cassava production at the Renewed Hope Mega Farm Estate in Irele, Ekiti State.

The agreement aims to accelerate cassava production, enhance food security, and strengthen Nigeria’s position in the global cassava value chain, according to NALDA Executive Secretary, Cornelius Adebayo.

“This collaboration is a strategic step towards realising President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda for agricultural transformation and rural prosperity,” Adebayo said, adding that his visit to Agbeyewa Farms highlighted the potential of cassava as a priority crop for NALDA.

Under the MoU, NALDA will clear 5,000 hectares of land for Agbeyewa Farms to expand its existing 3,000-hectare cassava plantation in Ekiti State. Similar projects will also receive support in Delta and Kwara states.

Adebayo emphasised the importance of private-sector-led agriculture, stating: “Government cannot run enterprises. Our job is to provide the enabling environment for private investment to thrive”.

“Agbeyewa has proven to be the best and largest in cassava cultivation; they deserve to anchor our Ekiti Mega Farm Estate.”

The partnership focuses on value addition and industrial processing, with cassava derivatives such as starch, sorbitol, and flour targeted for local and export markets.

Agbeyewa Farms Managing Director, Oscar Seyi Ayeleso, described the collaboration as a “dream come true”, noting that the farm has already created over 2,300 jobs, including 1,100 farmers and 444 managerial positions, with additional NYSC trainees engaged.

“We are transforming rural communities by promoting mechanised farming and youth empowerment. Every hectare cultivated can make a farmer a millionaire,” Ayeleso said, highlighting a 35-tonne per hectare yield last year and an ambitious 40-tonne target this year.

Agbeyewa Farms currently supplies major processors such as Nestlé and SQC, further linking cassava production to industrialisation and food security.

Technical Adviser to the NALDA Executive Secretary, Olusegun Owolabi, described the MoU as a guiding framework for collaboration, resource sharing, innovation, and risk management.

“It will serve as a model for future partnerships across NALDA’s cluster projects, including greenhouse, poultry, livestock, and plantation developments,” he said.

The initiative also reflects the government’s broader economic policies to attract private and international investment, with enquiries from six foreign investors received in the past week, Adebayo disclosed.

Source: This Day Live