In a move aimed at promoting food security in Nigeria, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the procurement of 2,000 tractors, 4,000-disc ploughs, and 1,200 tractor trailers under the National Agricultural Mechanization Programme (NAMP).
This announcement was made by President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on X, following the FEC meeting in Abuja.
The equipment will be supplied by DMCC, a firm known for similar projects in Zimbabwe, Kenya, South Africa, and Togo. Additionally, DMCC plans to establish assembly plants for some of this equipment within Nigeria.
Onanuga stated, “The procurement of 2000 tractors, 4000-disc ploughs, 1000-disc ridges, 1200 tractor trailers, and assorted spare parts is to strengthen national food security under NAMP. DMCC will supply all the equipment and set up a plant to assemble the machinery in the second stage of the contract.”
Furthermore, the federal government will engage stakeholders to establish a Guaranteed Minimum Price (GMP) for commodities and ramp up production, particularly among smallholder farmers during the 2024/2025 farming season. This includes promoting the production of fortified food commodities and other measures to enhance food security.
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This initiative comes as Nigeria faces a significant food security crisis, with food inflation at 40.5 percent, making it increasingly difficult for households to provide for their families.
The prices of staple foods, especially grains, have more than doubled over the past year.
In response to the crisis, the federal government recently announced plans to distribute ₦50,000 to 100,000 households across the country’s 36 states for three months and to purchase food items worth ₦155 billion for nationwide distribution.
