By Palma Ileye
Agricultural stakeholders have prioritised implementation initiatives for the agricultural mechanization of 10,000 tractors in the next five-year period to boost food production and security.
This workshop held yesterday in Abuja aims to address Nigeria’s mechanization gap through transformative initiatives, including the implementation of a mechanization program for 10,000 tractors over a five-year period in partnership with John Deere/TATA Africa Services.
Speaking earlier, Country Director for Nigeria, Heifer International, Lekan Tobe highlighted that this initiative offered a unique opportunity to spotlight Nigeria’s efforts to enhance food security, drive national growth, and promote sustainable agriculture.
During the NADF-Heifer Nigeria Stakeholder Workshop on Mechanization in Abuja, Tobe emphasised that this workshop engaged stakeholders from the government, and development agencies, amongst others to develop a sustainable implementation framework for tractor deployment.
”He said our target is to boost farm productivity and national food security and explore funding opportunities in the mechanization space for our farmers at the local levels,” he said.
He stated that beyond just providing perspective prospects the essence was to harness the potentials of Nigerian youths who form the liveliest demography in the country.
He said that the initiatives was to help them take up opportunities in agriculture, saying that, “And that we have been doing and this includes giving women opportunities to key into economic development.
“We believe that beyond providing catalytic funding or financing for that program, the other objective is to harness the potential that we have in our youth, who form the largest demography in our country.”
He further said this will help them to take up opportunities in agriculture and achieve the maximum in food production we have been doing and it’s paying off Including not just youth, but women also taking advantage, and key people of opportunity to drive the change that we’re looking for the benefits of all Nigerians.
He added, ”It is hoped that our meeting today will yield results that will not only solve today’s capital problems, or mechanization challenges but will pave the way for continuous engagement and improvement of agric production in the country.”
The workshop which convened stakeholders from government, development agencies, and mechanization service providers was aimed to: Develop a sustainable implementation framework for tractor deployment; Discuss practical solutions and share best practices; Formulate actionable recommendations to boost farm productivity and national food security and Explore funding opportunities in the mechanization space.
The event offered a unique opportunity to spotlight Nigeria’s efforts to enhance food security, drive national growth, and promote sustainable agriculture.
