The Minister of Agriculture and Rerual Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh has on behalf of the federal government overseen the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Nigerian Agricultural Mechanization and Equipment Leasing Company (NAMEL), Tractor Owners and Operators Association of Nigeria (TOOAN) and Tractor Owners and Hiring Facilities Association of Nigeria (TOHFAN) under the Private Sector Driven Mechanization Programme (PSDMP) as part of efforts to boost mechanised farming.
Speaking during the signing ceremony that took place in his office in Abuja, Ogbeh, promised that no stone would be left unturned to ensure Nigerians farmers are richer and comfortable to ensure food security in the country.
The minister hailed the initiative saying it will assist the country toward delivery of mechanization services across the country.
Adding that the initiative is one of best innovations in agricultural sector and that government will do everything possible to ensure the programme see the light of the day.
According to him, the government of the day is looking forward to changing the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers and agribusinesses in Nigeria through partnering with the Public Private partnership PPP for wealth creation and food security.
“For over 20 years, the government had repeatedly made efforts to address the agricultural mechanization challenge in Nigeria, a development that affected the sector adversely.
“Number of tractors that is working in the country are not up to 7,000 and Nigeria need should be times 10 of what we have presently in the country for food security that we are clamouring for.
“The project will ensure effective delivery of the tractor which has been the challenges of farmer in the 774 local government areas of the country through 2500 Agricultural Equipment Hiring Enterprises to be established in the respective location.”
Minister however said the project would be closely monitored as farm inputs were being distributed across the local government.
In his address, the private driven agricultural Mechanizationin programme Chief Executive of NAMEL Dr. Ahmed Adekunle partnership is moving steadily towards the set goals of deploying 10,000 units of tractors and over 60,000 other machineries to establish a minimum of 2500 Agricultural Equipment Hiring Enterprises AEHEs across all the 774 Local government.
“Nigerian will agreed with me that the reason why our farmers are not adequately mechanized today due to lack of tractors and other farmers machineries, because the world equipment manufacturers are still manufacturing them in hundred of thousands and our inability as a country to achieve considerable progress in mechanization.”
He appealed to all financial institution to come for more collaboration toward the delivery of efficient, effective mechanization services across the country.
Also, in his Goodwill message, the chairman TOOAN , Engr. Elesa Britus Yakubu explained that it is obvious that the need of Nigerian can not be meet through continuous use of old way of cultivation and there is need to moved from old way to the mechanization farming in Nigeria to meet the demand of all Nigerian as well as food security in the country.
He urged the government to do everything within it’s power to ensure all the challenges of farmer are meet in order to increase productivity in the country.
