The Federal Government has launched the Sustainable Integrated Productive Communities (SIPC), a new development initiative designed to link agriculture, mass housing, renewable energy and enterprise development into a single, coordinated framework, with the first pilot set to begin in Niger State.
The programme is addressing some of Nigeria’s most pressing challenges, including food insecurity, affordable housing shortages, rural instability and unemployment, particularly among young people engaged in agriculture.
Under the SIPC framework, the Ministry of Finance will serve as the anchor institution, while participating states are expected to provide land and local support.
The Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) will play a key role in optimising public assets and mobilising private capital to drive implementation.
Speaking at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Niger State Government on Friday, the Minister of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka-Anite, described the agreement as a critical step in translating policy commitments into measurable outcomes.
She stated that the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and demonstrates a coordinated approach to inclusive economic development.
According to her, the SIPC programme goes beyond housing provision by anchoring farmers within secure, well-planned communities that support productivity and long-term prosperity.
Uzoka-Anite explained that the Niger State pilot would feature integrated farming and housing estates strategically located near production zones, storage facilities, processing centres and markets.
She noted that proper settlement of farmers improves efficiency, reduces losses and makes agriculture more attractive and profitable.
The programme adopts an innovative financing structure that blends public assets with private-sector investment, allowing government institutions to focus on policy direction and oversight while leveraging private-sector expertise.
Renewable energy infrastructure, including solar-powered mini-grids to be delivered through the Rural Electrification Agency, will support agro-processing, cold storage and household energy needs, helping to reduce production costs and boost output.
Uzoka-Anite added that the initiative is expected to stimulate wide-ranging economic activity, creating jobs across construction, agro-processing, logistics and service sectors, while strengthening local industries and increasing internally generated revenue.
She encouraged developers, pension funds, real estate firms and agribusiness investors to view the SIPC model as scalable nationwide.
In his response, Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago pledged the state’s full commitment to the project, announcing that 100,000 hectares of land would be allocated for the pilot, with certificates of occupancy to be issued to the federal government.
Bago stated that clustering farmers into planned settlements would help address insecurity, rural–urban migration, poor infrastructure, post-harvest losses and declining youth participation in agriculture.
He highlighted Niger State’s mechanised farming capacity, irrigation potential from hydropower dams and plans for farm estates along a proposed Abuja–Minna rail corridor as key enablers of the initiative.
He also noted that the project could support the development of grazing reserves, helping to reduce long-standing farmer–herder conflicts while strengthening food production and rural livelihoods.
Source: Business Day
Image Credit: Honourable Doris Uzoka-Anite
