'Seun Ibukun-Oni, Abuja
DAILY COURIER - The Federal Government's decision to purchase 2,000 tractors, 4,000 disc ploughs, and other mechanised farming equipment reflects President Bola Tinubu's commitment to ensuring food security in Nigeria, according to the Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG). This statement, signed by TMSG Chairman Emeka Nwankpa and Secretary Dapo Okubanjo, highlights the administration's multi-pronged approach to addressing food inflation and boosting food production.
"The decision to buy 2,000 tractors, 4,000 disc ploughs, and 1,200 tractor trailers under the National Agricultural Mechanisation Programme (NAMP) is a bold strategy to complement other measures to ramp up food production in the country," the statement reads. This initiative is part of the broader National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy 2022-2027, which aims to tackle the long-standing challenge of farming mechanisation.
Nigeria's current mechanisation rate stands at 0.27 tractors per 1,000 hectares, significantly below the FAO’s recommendation of 1.5 tractors per 1,000 hectares and lower than South Africa's 4.7 and Ghana's 2.7. The TMSG commended the government's plan to purchase equipment from a reputable international company, which will also set up an assembly plant in Nigeria, thereby creating direct and indirect jobs and addressing maintenance and spare parts availability issues.
The President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Kabir Ibrahim, expressed confidence that mechanised farming would expedite the country's quest for food security. This aligns with President Tinubu's campaign promise on food security. The TMSG urged subnational governments to collaborate with the federal government by making land available where necessary.
In addition to the Agricultural Mechanisation Programme, the newly created Livestock Development Ministry is expected to further strengthen national food security. The TMSG remains optimistic that these initiatives will significantly bolster Nigeria's agricultural sector and ensure sustainable food security for the nation.
