The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has commenced construction of a state-of-the-art Agricultural Incubation Centre at the University of Abuja, Gwagwalada, aimed at boosting food security and driving innovation in Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

NASENI, in a statement by Director, Information, New Media and Protocol, NASENI, Olusegun Ayeoyenikan, noted that the project, situated on a 10-hectare parcel of land within the university campus, is designed as a technology-driven, commercial agricultural hub integrating poultry production, aquaculture, crop cultivation, and research-based innovation.

When completed, it stated that the facility is expected to serve as a model for replication across the country’s six geopolitical zones.

The centre will house an agribusiness training and incubation facility, alongside three commercially sustainable production units for broiler and layer poultry, high-tunnel greenhouse farms, catfish and tilapia fish farms, a tissue culture laboratory, greenhouses, an administrative block, and extensive open-field cultivation supported by drip irrigation and modern agricultural technologies. These components are projected to significantly increase food production and support Nigeria’s food security agenda.

Speaking on the strategic importance of the initiative, the Acting Coordinating Director, Engineering Infrastructure Directorate at NASENI Headquarters, Engr. Dr. Abdulrasheed Agavah said the project aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in advancing food security.

“This agricultural incubation centre, which will be commissioned this year, is designed to make food available and affordable through technology-driven farming, breeding, and research. Its location within a university environment is deliberate, as it will strengthen research and development as well as knowledge transfer.”

Agavah disclosed that a similar project is currently underway at Bayero University, Kano (BUK), with plans to replicate the initiative at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, and other remaining geopolitical zones.

Also speaking during an on-site inspection, the Project Manager of Onida Agric and Aquaculture Solutions Ltd, Mr. Christian Montano, explained that the poultry component consists of a 5,000-capacity broiler unit and an 8,000-capacity layer unit.

 He added that the aquaculture section includes three production tanks, each measuring 16 metres in diameter, with an estimated annual output of about 25 tonnes of fish.

According to Montano, the crop production segment features 10 greenhouse tunnels of 500 square metres each, a 2.5-hectare net house, and four hectares of open-field farmland. He noted that the tissue culture laboratory is designed to accelerate seedling production and improve crop quality by significantly reducing the time required to propagate planting materials.

He further stated that the centre is equipped with six solar-powered boreholes, power store workshops, an irrigation control room, and a gatehouse, while plans are underway to construct a water retention structure to ensure an uninterrupted water supply during both rainy and dry seasons.

The Agricultural Incubation Centre is expected to enhance capacity building, promote research-led agribusiness, and contribute to sustainable food production upon completion.