The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has announced the approval of 2,000 tractors, 4,000 disc ploughs, and 1,200 tractor trailers among other equipment under the National Agricultural Mechanization Programme (NAMP) to promote food security in Nigeria.
This is contained in a statement shared on Wednesday by President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga on his X handle, outlining the outcomes of the FEC meeting in Abuja.
Onanuga said the equipment will be supplied by DMCC firm which is also planning to set up assembling plans of some of these equipment in the country.
“Procurement of 2000 tractors, 4000 disc ploughs, 1000 disc ridges, 1200 tractor trailers and assorted spare parts. The items to be supplied are for the National Agricultural Mechanization Programme (NAMP) to strengthen national food security”
“Astride DMCC, which has done a similar job in Zimbabwe, Kenya, South Africa and Togo, will supply all the equipment and will also set up a plant to assemble the machinery, in the second stage of the contract,” Onanuga said.
The approval by FEC came after the recent confirmation from the Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari, that the government has decided to suspend import duties on certain food items for 150 days.
Kyari also said the federal government will import 250,000 metric tonnes of wheat and maize to fill the depleted strategic grain reserve.
In addition, the federal government will engage stakeholders to get a Guaranteed Minimum Price (GMP) for commodities, ramp up production, especially among smallholder farmers in the 2024/2025 farming season, promote of production of fortified food commodities and others.
