The Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat is one of the 7 mandate secretariats established by the Presidential order No. 1 in 2004 in line with the reform of the Federal Capital Territory Administration. Out of an estimated land area of 800,000 hectares , 274,000ha is earmarked for Agricultural development , 270,00ha is for forest reserves, while 60,000ha is for natural resources. The master plan of the Federal Capital Territory has made provision for extensive farming, both under rain fed and irrigation in consonance with the Agro-economical situation of the territory. The abundant farmland is fertile and sustains production of major crops and livestock's in which FCT has comparative advantage. The secretariat is saddled with the responsibility of ensuring sustainable food security for the resident of the FCT through the development of necessary policy framework to harness the fast agricultural potentials of the FCT and by a conscious acceleration for development of Agriculture and Rural development activities to meet the challenges of employment generation, economic empowerment and sustainable food security. Vision The vision of the ARDS is to transform the agricultural sector into a vibrant and productive sector that provides opportunities for wealth creation, economic growth, food security and poverty eradication in the FCT. Mission The mission of ARDS is to enhance the food and raw materials production with the full participation of stakeholders thereby promoting food security, wealth creation and poverty alleviation.
