Seven states adopt Songhai integrated farm model in Nigeria

SEVEN of the 36 states in Nigeria have concluded partnership agreement with the Songhai farm in Porto-Novo in neighbouring Benin Republic to set up integrated farm system in their states.

Revd. Godfrey Izamojo, the Director of Songhai Regional Operations disclosed this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Porto-Novo.

He said that the states were Rivers, Enugu, Cross Rivers, Benue, Katsina, Ogun and Lagos.

“We are already in Rivers State and Enugu. We are going to Cross Rivers, Benue, Kastina, Ogun and Lagos State. Many other states are partnering with us in Nigeria.

“We are supposed to be in 15 African countries as part of the regional plan of the project.”

Izamojo described the Songhai farm model as an African concept aimed at empowering the youth to be self-sufficient.

“Songhai farm is a project about a new African society where Africans are empowered to be on the drivers seat to solve their problems instead of looking elsewhere.

“We believe we can harness the resources given to us by nature to create wealth and take care of our unemployment and poverty problem.”

Izamojo said that the basic idea was to ensure maximum utilisation of natural resources by preventing wastage.

“The concept of Songhai integrated farm takes care of everything right from the farm to the factory and to the industry all aspects are taken care of in Songhai farm.

“The whole idea is to empower the youth to learn and be on the driver’s seat.”

Izamojo expressed confidence that the idea would help secure Africa’s future and prevent it from depending on other continents for food and other industrial products.

“The Songhai farm was established by a Non- Governmental Organisation (NGO) and has been on for the past 20 years. What we did was to make sure that we avoided direct government ownership to prevent collapse.

In fact, the Songhai farm is one of the largest NGO projects working for several years for the empowerment of Africans.”