The Vice President, Agriculture, of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Olajide M. Bodetun, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on food security and introduce a national initiative known as “Operation No Idle Land” to unlock Nigeria’s agricultural potential andp address rising food insecurity and unemployment.
In an open letter addressed to President Tinubu and copied to the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, the National Assembly and the Executive Governors of the 36 states of the federation, Bodetun argued that Nigeria can transform its vast agricultural resources into productive employment, food security, industrial development and national prosperity through deliberate and coordinated action.
According to him, Nigeria possesses vast arable land, favourable climatic conditions, abundant natural resources and a youthful population capable of driving a modern agricultural economy. However, a significant portion of potentially productive land remains underutilised or idle.
He described the situation as a major economic opportunity that Nigeria can no longer afford to overlook, particularly at a time when millions of Nigerians are seeking employment and households continue to face challenges with food affordability.
Lessons from Global Agricultural Economies
Bodetun said his proposal was informed partly by agricultural study and farm visits he undertook in the United States, Canada, Israel and several European countries following his appointment as Vice President of ACCI in December 2023.
He said the level of agricultural mechanisation, innovation, efficient land utilisation and value chain integration observed in those countries reinforced his conviction that Nigeria has the capacity to become one of the world’s leading agricultural economies.
He noted that Nigeria does not need to replicate the agricultural models of other countries but can draw valuable lessons from them.
He cited the Netherlands as an example of how research, technology, logistics and value-chain integration can drive highly productive agriculture despite limited land.
He also pointed to Denmark’s cooperative farming and food-processing systems, as well as Germany’s spatial planning, infrastructure, research and strong links between agriculture, industry and manufacturing, as areas from which Nigeria could draw lessons.
“The lesson for Nigeria is clear: land alone does not create agricultural prosperity. Productive land supported by technology, finance, infrastructure, knowledge, security and markets does,” he stated.
What “Operation No Idle Land” Means
Bodetun proposed “Operation No Idle Land” as a national framework aimed at encouraging the productive utilisation of land for agriculture, agribusiness, agro-processing, industry and other approved economic activities.
He stressed that the initiative should not be punitive or amount to indiscriminate land confiscation, but should instead combine land-use planning, financing, infrastructure, technical support, investment incentives and responsible enforcement.
Under the proposal, landowners would be encouraged and supported to put their land into productive use or lease underutilised land to farmers, cooperatives, investors and companies capable of developing it.
He further proposed the creation of organised schemes and cooperatives that would aggregate land, capital, technology and market access.
However, he emphasised that any government action concerning persistently abandoned or unlawfully held land must be subject to constitutional provisions, statutory requirements, legitimate property rights and due process.
Six-Pillar Framework
For the initiative to succeed, Bodetun proposed a six-pillar implementation framework.
The first is a National Land Audit and Mapping Programme, involving coordinated digital mapping and auditing of agricultural and economically productive land in collaboration with state governments and relevant institutions.
The second is the creation of Land Banks and Agricultural Clusters, where farmers, cooperatives, investors and agro-processors can operate within integrated agricultural ecosystems.
The third is incentives for productive land use, including access to finance, technical assistance, infrastructure, market linkages and appropriate tax incentives.
The fourth focuses on youth and women participation, with deliberate measures to expand their access to land, finance, technology, training and markets.
The fifth is Public-Private Partnership, which would bring together investors, financial institutions, technology companies, agribusinesses and development partners to expand food production and agro processing.
The sixth pillar is Security, Monitoring and Accountability, with emphasis on protecting farming communities, agricultural investments and supply routes while establishing measurable targets for hectares cultivated, food output, job creation, investment and reduced dependence on food imports.
Call for a Food Security Emergency
Beyond the land-use initiative, Bodetun urged President Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on food security, backed by a measurable and time-bound national action plan.
He called for the Federal Government, state and local governments, farmers, private-sector organisations, financial institutions, research institutions and development partners to work together towards increasing domestic food production and reducing Nigeria’s vulnerability to supply shocks and excessive dependence on imports.
Priority areas, according to the proposal, should include affordable agricultural financing, irrigation and water management, mechanisation, improved seeds and fertilisers, extension services, farmer training, agricultural research and technology.
He also called for greater investment in rural roads, storage and processing infrastructure, security for farming communities, agricultural value chains, agro-processing clusters and sustainable market access.
Agriculture as a Driver of National Transformation
Bodetun believes that effective implementation of “Operation No Idle Land” could become a major driver of Nigeria’s economic transformation.
He projected that the initiative could create employment across farming, processing, logistics, storage and distribution, while improving domestic food production, reducing food importation and saving foreign exchange.
He further argued that productive agriculture could stimulate rural development, strengthen national security by expanding economic opportunities for young Nigerians, promote agro-industrialisation and increase Nigeria’s agricultural export potential.
Calls for National Stakeholder Summit
As an immediate step, the ACCI Vice President urged President Tinubu to convene a National Stakeholder Summit on Productive Land Use and Food Security.
The proposed summit would bring together the Federal Government, state and local governments, National Assembly, traditional institutions, farmers’ organisations, the organised private sector, financial institutions, research institutions, development partners and other relevant stakeholders.
According to Bodetun, such a summit would provide an opportunity to develop “Operation No Idle Land” into a practical, legally sound and economically sustainable national programme.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry to supporting initiatives that promote investment, enterprise development, food security and sustainable economic growth.
“Nigeria cannot afford to have millions of hectares of potential productive land lying idle, while millions remain unemployed and households struggle with food affordability. Let us turn idle land into productive assets, agricultural potential into economic power, and our youthful population into a productive workforce.”
Bodetun concluded that “Operation No Idle Land” should become a national call to action, with every productive hectare contributing to feeding Nigerians, creating jobs and strengthening the national economy.
