News
Firm Launches Platform to Improve Agric Value Chain
In a bid to cover the entire agriculture value chain and support farmers in the country, Oxford Green Farms Group (a new business conglomerate and an agro-allied industry in Africa) has launched an innovative platform known as AgroLyfe, recently in Lagos.
The platform, which leverages farming and real estate, will afford farmers and subscribers the opportunity to create consistent income-earning opportunities as well as generate stable and reliable rental income through farmland acquisition.
Subscribers on the platform can purchase farmlands for as low as N100,000 to N2,000,000, and earn rental income on it every three months, stressing that it has immediately flagged off with four farm locations, including Ijaka in Aiyetoro, Ogun State, Itele in Ijebu, Ogun State, Imala Town, Oke-Ogun, and Ibadan, Oyo State while plans are underway to add 20 more locations to the scheme within the next 30-60 days.
Speaking on what AgroLyfe stands to offer, the CEO, Oxford Green Farms Group, Dr. Goodluck Olatunde Precious, said, “At Oxford Green Farms Group, we want to support the Federal Government’s drive towards self-sustainability in food production.
“Therefore, we are working towards acquiring 10million acres of farmland and onboarding 10,000 farmers on our platform within the next five years.
“We would give farmers we are onboarding access to grants and off-takers for their farming to boost capacity and output. We believe this would add up to a 20percent boost to Nigeria’s overall food production capacity.”
“To this end, our research team has been relentless in designing an innovative product that is market-fit, appeals to everyone, and creates consistent income-earning opportunities for everyone interested. This is what birthed the product we are launching today – AgroLyfe.
“AgroLyfe is that child delivered when you marry Agriculture with Real Estate – it is a product that leverages farming and real estate to generate stable and reliable rental income for customers through farmland acquisition. Think of it like this: Buy land, rent out to farmers for farming, and earn rental on these farms at short intervals. Smart, right? That is exactly what AgroLyfe is.”
He said: “With AgroLyfe, you can purchase farmlands from as low as N100,000 to N2,000,000, and earn rentals on it every three months. We immediately flag off with four farm locations, including Ijaka in Aiyetoro, Ogun State, Itele in Ijebu, Ogun State, Imala Town, Oke-Ogun, and Ibadan, Oyo State. And we are adding 20 more locations to this scheme within the next 30-60 days. There is also a flip side of this new product that we will be announcing soon, the Farmers’ Cooperative Society.
“We are setting up a cooperative society for farmers across the 36 states of Nigeria, through which we can easily plug them into our Agro-Allied business. Our mission is to cover the entire agriculture value chain – from farming to harvesting, processing, storage, transportation, and up to the end-users.
“In this case, this would also include exporting agro products. The goal is to acquire up to 4million hectares of arable land across the 36 states of Nigeria and beyond while having more than 10,000 active farmers on this platform. I’d leave your imagination to what is possible with that,” Olatunde-Precious concluded.
President Bola Tinubu has ordered a Federal Executive Council committee to move swiftly on measures to further reduce food prices across the country.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, disclosed this in Abuja, on Wednesday.
According to him, the directive focuses on ensuring safe passage of farm produce across transport routes to cut logistics costs.
“The President has given a matching order with a Federal Executive Council committee already handling it on how we are going to promote safe passage of agricultural foods and commodities across our various routes in the country,” Abdullahi said at a capacity-building workshop for Senate correspondents.
0:0
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has faced worsening food insecurity since the removal of fuel subsidy, high transport costs, and insecurity on major highways disrupted the movement of goods.
Despite government interventions, food remains largely unaffordable for millions.
The minister said the plan is tied to Tinubu’s broader vision of food sovereignty—beyond availability to ensure affordability, accessibility, and nutrition on a sustainable basis.
To back this up, he revealed that government is set to roll out a Farmer Soil Health Scheme to boost productivity and a revamped cooperative reform initiative to mobilise resources and empower rural farmers.
“Mr. President has shown tremendous interest in the cooperative sector as a veritable tool for resource mobilisation, for economic activity generation, and to improve the livelihood of members,” Abdullahi added.
The event, with the theme, “Parliamentary Reporting: Issues, Challenges and Responsibilities,” also featured Senate Media Committee Chairman, Senator Yemi Adaramodu; ex-presidential aide, Senator Ita Solomon Enang; and NILDS DG, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman.
The Federal Government has warned contractors, including foreign firms, that any breach of regulations in road projects awarded to them may lead to arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, issued the warning during an inspection of the ongoing dualisation of the East-West Road (Section IIIA) from Eleme Junction to Onne Port Junction in Rivers State.
The section is being executed by Reynolds Construction Company (Nigeria) Limited.
Responding to questions from journalists, Umahi commended the quality of work on the project but expressed displeasure over the slow pace, stressing that the December completion deadline remains sacrosanct.
On the project, he said:“The quality of the work is excellent, but the pace of work is totally unacceptable. Let me make it very clear to the contractor that this project will neither be reviewed nor varied in price or claims.
“I’m sure we have issued over 10 warning letters to them. If they fail to comply with the completion deadline of December 15, we will not extend it.”
He added that the ministry had already put measures in place to enforce compliance
“The comptroller has negative certificates to issue, and I will recover the money from any of their other projects. All those letters are on record, and when the time comes, they will be invoked. Any contractor who refuses to abide by regulations will have the EFCC and ICPC to contend with,” he said.
Umahi further disclosed that the Federal Government had directed that road projects valued below N20bn would no longer be awarded to expatriate companies, in line with its “Nigeria First” policy aimed at strengthening indigenous capacity in the construction sector.
“This is part of the Nigeria First policy of the Federal Government. Henceforth, no expatriate firm will be awarded any project valued below N20bn. Such projects must go to indigenous companies, while expatriates focus on higher-value projects requiring more technical capacity,” he said.
The minister also noted that the Federal Ministry of Works had adopted a funding prioritisation framework to sustain road projects initially financed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited under the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme.
He stressed that President Bola Tinubu had directed that none of such projects should be abandoned, adding that priority would be given to critical economic corridors.
Umahi also decried the indiscriminate parking of heavy-duty vehicles on highways, saying it was damaging the pavements of completed sections of the road.
He said letters would be sent to state governors and the Inspector-General of Police to enforce punitive measures against defaulters.
Earlier, the Federal Controller of Works in Rivers State, Mrs Enwereama Tarilade, said RCC had completed 15km of the right carriageway and commenced work on the left carriageway, with one kilometre already laid in Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement.
The Rivers State Government says it will ensure the smooth and successful takeoff of the newly established Federal University of Environment and Technology (FUET), in Ogoniland.
This commitment was made yesterday by the Administrator of Rivers State, Retired Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), during a courtesy visit by the university’s Governing Council and Management team at the Government House, in Port Harcourt.
The high-level delegation was led by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Council, Professor Don Baridam and the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Chinedu Mmom.
In his address, Administrator Ibas warmly congratulated the pioneer council and management on their appointments, describing their task as both a recognition of individual accomplishment and a historic call to duty.
“This is not just a recognition of your personal achievements but also a call to history to shape an institution that will have a profound impact on Rivers State, the Niger Delta, and indeed our country,” he stated.
The Administrator commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the establishment of the specialized university in Ogoniland, describing the initiative as “timely and strategic.”
He emphasized that the university’s presence offers a critical opportunity to drive research, innovation, and community-focused solutions to the region’s pressing environmental and developmental challenges.
He further noted that the university’s core focus aligns perfectly with the priorities of his administration.“We consider this university not merely as another institution of higher learning but as a strategic partner in our collective effort to rebuild Rivers State under the ongoing state of emergency and beyond,” he affirmed.
Responding to specific requests presented by the delegation, Administrator Ibas assured the university of immediate support in critical areas essential for the its commencement.
These include the provision of operational vehicles, key facilities, and the completion of the access road to the campus, adding that other vital needs, such as perimeter fencing, refuse disposal, and the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy, would be addressed within the framework of the state’s broader infrastructure and support programmes.
To ensure swift action, the Administrator directed the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) to work closely with the university’s Governing Council to prioritize the sequence of requests, particularly those tied to the commencement of academic activities in September 2025.
“Let me assure you that Rivers State Government will stand as a dependable partner to the Federal University of Environment and Technology. We see this university as part of our long-term investment in knowledge, innovation, and the future of our youths,” he emphasized.
In his remarks, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Professor Don Baridam, reaffirmed the university’s commitment to academic excellence, innovation, and community development.
He disclosed that the Federal Government has directed the institution to formally commence its academic session in September 2025, adding that preparations are in full swing to ensure a smooth take-off with adequate infrastructure and resources in place.
“Today’s meeting marks the beginning of a strategic partnership between the Rivers State Government and FUET, envisioned to establish the university as a premier hub for research, innovation, and sustainable development in the Niger Delta”, he said.