By Joy Onu
The Federal Government has obtained a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) from the Niger State Government, a development that clears the way for the pilot phase of the Sustainable Integrated Productive Communities (SIPC) programme.
The land title was presented in Abuja on Thursday, marking a key administrative step for the project, which is designed to integrate agriculture, mass housing, renewable energy and enterprise development under a single framework aimed at driving inclusive growth.
Speaking at the presentation, Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, said the programme is intended to create organised settlement communities for farmers, with the objective of strengthening agricultural value chains and improving livelihoods.
She said the absence of stable settlements, combined with infrastructure gaps and rising rural-urban migration, has continued to affect productivity in many farming communities, adding that the SIPC programme is structured to respond to those challenges.
The initiative includes provisions for renewable energy solutions such as solar-powered homes and community facilities, which are expected to support agro-processing and storage. It also outlines plans for access roads, water supply, efficient land use and environmentally responsible construction.
Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, confirmed that the state has allocated 100,000 hectares for the pilot phase of the programme, citing agriculture as a core focus of his administration.
He also announced plans to provide each local government area in the state with 10 tractors and two combined harvesters to support agricultural production.
