In a significant move to bolster food security, Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) has sanctioned the release of 2,000 tractors and other vital farming equipment as part of the National Agricultural Mechanization Programme (NAMP).
NATURENEX reports that President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made this announcement via his X handle, summarizing the key outcomes of the FEC meeting held on Thursday in Abuja.
The approval also includes various spare parts aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s agricultural productivity.
“The procurement includes 2,000 tractors, 4,000 disc ploughs, 1,000 disc ridgers, 1,200 tractor trailers, and assorted spare parts. These items will support the National Agricultural Mechanization Programme (NAMP) to ensure national food security,” Onanuga stated.
Astride DMCC, a company with previous projects in Zimbabwe, Kenya, South Africa, and Togo, will supply the equipment. They will also establish a local assembly plant in the second phase of the contract.
This initiative follows the government’s earlier decision to suspend taxes and import duties on essential food items like rice, wheat, and beans for 150 days to combat rising food inflation, which reached 40.66 percent in May.
Additionally, President Tinubu recently announced the creation of the Livestock Development Ministry, aimed at resolving long-standing conflicts between farmers and herders that contribute to food insecurity.
This effort comes as Nigerians confront escalating food prices and lower purchasing power, with the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization predicting that by 2030, up to 82 million people might suffer severe hunger due to persistent food insecurity.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government, through Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen Abubakar Kyari, declared that the food crisis will abate in 180 days.
