Abuja — Land reform is key to poverty alleviation in the country, President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua said yesterday.Receiving an interim report from the Presidential Technical Committee on Land Reform at the State House, the President described land reform as "as an exercise of great importance," stressing that "it is going to open new economic opportunities to all Nigerians."

President Yar'adua reiterated his administration's commitment to implementing land reform in the country, noting that it "is part of the 7-Point Agenda of this Administration."

The President who commended the Committee for its commitment to the assignment, expressed delight that the report came just in time for the proposed Land Reform Commission Bill already before the National Assembly to be accommodated in the 2010 Appropriation Bill to be presented to the Legislature on Thursday.

The chairman of the Committee, Prof. Akin Mabogunje, said the committee decided to present an interim report after seven months of work since its inauguration, to keep the President abreast of its work.

He said his committee had consulted "critical stakeholders" such as state governors and members of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) while drawing attention to the need to develop domestic technical and manpower capacity to fully implement the land reforms.