The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), Temitope Fashedemi, on Thursday, expressed readiness to “train 819 Tractor Operators and Mechanics to equip them with broad knowledge and practical skills in handling agricultural machinery to enhance food production.”
At a two-day stakeholders’ workshop on the review of the draft National Agricultural Mechanization Policy Document, Fashedemi said the operators would be trained at the Agricultural Mechanics and Machinery Operators Training Centres (AMMOTRAC) in Akure and Misau.
Represented by the Director of the Department of Policy and Planning Coordination, Ibrahim Tanimu, Fashedemi stated that the training would deepen participants’ knowledge and provide a strong foundation in agricultural mechanization technology with practical experience.
He highlighted that agricultural mechanization would provide technological inputs, increase productivity, and expand agricultural output through efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable strategies.
Noting the lack of a national policy on agricultural mechanization in Nigeria, Fashedemi expressed optimism that developing a mechanization policy comes at a crucial time, as the government explores ways to procure agricultural equipment amidst low output.
He said, “The significance of the national policy in agricultural mechanization is to attain food security, livelihood security, a strong export push, and import substitution components.
“Implementation of this policy will create an enabling environment for vibrant agricultural mechanization activities, and I am confident it will lead to increased productivity, improved food security, and higher income for farmers.”
Fashedemi added that the ministry plans to reinvigorate mechanization deployment by engaging Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) such as John Deere/Tata, Belarus Tractor, the Greener Hope Initiative Programme, and the Green Imperative Programme (GIP).
The partnership, he added, “will provide 32,500 units of tractors with implements and other assorted machinery over the next five years. This will stimulate youth and women involvement in agricultural production in Nigeria.”
In his remarks, the representative of Origin Tech Group, Dr. Olasupo Musa, stated that the organization had provided capacity training for 5,000 youths in equipment handling and repairs, as well as establishing 150,000 hectares of medium- and large-scale farms nationwide.
He also pledged continued support for the mechanization programme in line with the present administration’s policy in the agriculture sector.
In attendance were various stakeholders in the agriculture sector, such as John Deere/Tata, Belarus Tractor, the Greener Hope Initiative Programme, and GIP, as disclosed by the Acting Director of FMAFS, Ezeaja Ikemefuna.