By Chimezie Godfrey
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Muhammad Nanono has said that the Federal Government is targeting about 60, 000 tractors to drive the Agricultural Mechanization Programme.
He said the programme would ensure a paradigm – shift from subsistence practice to commercial agro- industrial farming for food production, procurement of agricultural processing plants, fertilizer production, enhance value chains among benfits.
Nanono made the assertion while receiving in audience the Participants of the Senior Executive Course (SEC) NO 43(2021) of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Plateau State in his office on Tuesday in Abuja.
The Minister noted that mechanization would enhance local technologies evolution with over 600 private sector driven services centers, equipped, tractors, farming implements, storage and IT facilities.
According to him, agricultural mechanization now revolves around the world, adding that this would address the challenge of feeding the nation’s growing population and achieving food sustainability, create jobs for teeming Nigerian youths and boost the economy.
Nanono informed the participants of the ministry’s plans to increase agricultural extension workers to 75,000 on various value chains for efficient food production and self-sufficiency.
In her remarks, the leader of the delegation and Director, Studies (NIPSS), and the Director of Studies (NIPSS), Prof. Olufumilayo Para-Mallam expressed delight to be at the ministry for the interactive discourse on agricultural policies of the ministry.
Prof. Para-Mallam stressed that ‘’the theme for the SEC 43, 2021 as approved by Mr. President, is Getting Things Done: Strategies for Policy and Programme Implementation’’, and that the ministry is critical to sustainable development and diversification of the Economy .
In his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Ernest Umakhihe said that policy and programme implementation is the nerve of every government as political leaders translate their wishes, aspirations and promises to the people through aspect of governance, especially for a country that has survived the devastation of COVID -19 Pandemic cannot come at a better time than now.
