The National Agricultural Land Development Authority ( NALDA) has commenced construction of 50 state-of-the-art greenhouses in Abuja.

Executive Secretary, NALDA, Cornelius Adebayo, said the initiative is a model and part of measures adopted by the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu to empower both youths and women.

Adebayo, who inspected the ongoing project on Wednesday, said the greenhouses fashioned after the one already cited in Sagamu, Ogun state and would also be built in other parts of the country, were designed to ensure that all kinds of vegetables were produced and distributed at affordable prices.

He explained that NALDA has signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of Abuja’s Faculty of Agriculture, where the greenhouses are located, on how to get youths who will manage the initiative according to stipulated standards.

He further disclosed that the greenhouses have several components, like a Packing house, cold room, solar-powered borehole and other facilities that will ensure effective operation of the farmers.

He said, “This greenhouse is more than just a structure; it’s a sanctuary for plants, where environmental conditions are meticulously controlled to optimise growth year-round. Within its transparent walls, a diverse range of crops flourish, shielded from the vagaries of weather and pests.

“ The purpose is to make vegetables available and closer to the people. This Abuja greenhouse cluster will serve the Abuja axis, while the cluster in Sagamu will serve Lagos and other places within that axis.

“ Another layer of this initiative is the plan to do a minimum of 10 hectares of open field vegetables in all the federal constituencies”.

According to him, the NALDA greenhouse Farm would revolutionise sustainable, climate-smart crop cultivation for the benefit of Nigeria.