The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, established in 1966, has undergone several name changes and structural modifications under successive administrations but has remained without a corporate headquarters for more than three decades after relocating from Lagos to Abuja. The ministry is currently operating from a Federal Capital Territory Administration facility with limited space, forcing several of its departments to function outside the main complex.
In 2018, under the leadership of the late Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, the ministry purchased a building valued at N7 billion in Abuja’s Central Business District to serve as its permanent headquarters. The property, an eight-floor office complex located on Plot 1062 and covering 3,754.90 square metres of land, was intended to provide adequate office space for the ministry’s departments and improve administrative efficiency.
However, the acquisition was later embroiled in controversy. In a query dated May 11, 2020, the then Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, requested an explanation from the Permanent Secretary who oversaw the transaction, Dr Mohammed Bello, over the purchase of what was described as an “uncompleted carcass” building for N7 billion. The query directed the permanent secretary to respond within 72 hours, raising questions about due process and value for money in the acquisition.