Historic Partnership: Arzikin Noma, NALDA Join Forces To End Hunger And Boost Agriculture

According to Ireporter Online, agro-allied company Arzikin Noma has announced a strategic partnership with the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) to strengthen food security, combat inflation, and empower smallholder farmers across Nigeria. The collaboration follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) focused on managing a mega farm project that aims to align the private sector, government, and development partners toward sustainable agricultural growth.

Speaking in Abuja, Group Managing Director, Michael Adeshola, stated that the initiative will begin with the development of farmlands in Ora and subsequently expand to all 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory. He described the move as a significant step toward achieving food sovereignty and eliminating hunger nationwide.

Adeshola revealed that Arzikin Noma operates within seven key agricultural value chains—maize, sorghum, soya, sesame, cowpea, millet, and paddy rice—and collaborates with over 500,000 model farmers across states including Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Gombe, Oyo, and Kwara.

He emphasized that the company’s strategy includes supporting farmers with financing opportunities, technical knowledge, climate-smart and regenerative agriculture training, as well as guaranteed offtake agreements to ensure market access and improve livelihoods.

Highlighting the firm’s partnerships with major industry players such as Nestlé, World Food Programme (WFP), Cadbury, Flour Mills of Nigeria, and Olam Hybrid, Adeshola reiterated the company’s commitment to promoting the use of local raw materials for local markets.

He further noted that Arzikin Noma’s empowerment programs have benefited women, youth, and vulnerable groups, helping them play a more active role in the nation’s economy. “We believe in local solutions to local problems,” he said.

Commending the Federal Government’s drive to involve more young people in agriculture, Adeshola described the NALDA partnership as a historic turning point for the country’s agricultural landscape.

“The partnership is the best thing to happen since Independence,” he remarked. “Land has always been a major obstacle to agricultural expansion, but with NALDA’s ambitious plan under Dr. Cornelius Adebayo to open up 10 million hectares of farmland in 10 years, Nigeria is poised to transform its food ecosystem.”

He concluded by stressing that agriculture remains the nation’s largest employer, accounting for nearly 65 percent of the workforce, and called for food security to be treated as a national emergency. “With this administration’s commitment and youth participation, Nigeria is on track to become a net exporter of food across Africa and beyond,” Adeshola asserted.