Photo Credit: Medium/John Agboola

In a bid to promote food security in Nigeria, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the procurement of 2,000 tractors, 4,000 disc ploughs, 1,200 tractor trailers, and other agricultural equipment under the National Agricultural Mechanization Programme (NAMP). The approval was announced following the FEC meeting in Abuja.

President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, outlined the outcomes of the FEC meeting on Wednesday via X (formerly Twitter). He revealed that the equipment will be supplied by DMCC, a firm known for similar projects in Zimbabwe, Kenya, South Africa, and Togo. DMCC will also establish assembly plants for some of the equipment within Nigeria.

Onanuga stated, “The procurement of 2,000 tractors, 4,000 disc ploughs, 1,000 disc ridges, 1,200 tractor trailers, and assorted spare parts is aimed at strengthening national food security through the National Agricultural Mechanization Programme (NAMP).”

He further explained that DMCC would not only supply the equipment but also set up assembly plants in the second stage of the contract to support local production and maintenance.

In addition to the mechanization efforts, the federal government plans to engage stakeholders to establish a Guaranteed Minimum Price (GMP) for agricultural commodities. This initiative aims to ramp up production, particularly among smallholder farmers during the 2024/2025 farming season. The government will also promote the production of fortified food commodities to enhance nutrition and food security.