Distributes 250 tractors and fertilisers to farmers
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The First Lady of Nigeria, Oluremi Tinubu, has launched the 2026 planting season in Niger State, handing over farming tools worth millions of naira to boost productivity and align with President Bola Tinubu’s food security drive.
The event doubled as a major distribution of agricultural inputs, including 250 tractors (75-horsepower capacity), 50 combine harvesters, and 150,000 bags of fertilisers, to be shared across the state’s 25 Local Government Areas, according to a statement by her media aide, Busola Kukoyi.
Mrs Tinubu described the initiative as “a visible testament to the nation’s commitment to agricultural transformation, food security, and rural prosperity.”
“Today’s event is not just the commencement of another farming season; it is a bold statement that Nigeria is ready to feed herself,” she declared. “It signals a deliberate transition from subsistence practices to modern, mechanised, and commercially viable agriculture. This gesture will no doubt empower our farmers with the tools needed to increase productivity, enhance livelihoods, and strengthen our GDP.”
Tying the initiative to federal policy, the First Lady recalled President Tinubu’s 13 July 2023 declaration of a state of emergency on food security. “With the direct support to farmers through the release of fertilisers and other agricultural inputs, this initiative by the Niger State Government aligns with the vision of the Renewed Hope Agenda on boosting agriculture for food self-sufficiency,” she added.
She hailed Nigerian farmers as “the backbone of our nation’s survival.” “I want to especially commend our farmers, the men, women, and youth who rise before dawn and labour tirelessly on the land, so that millions of families can have food on their tables. You are the backbone of our nation’s survival, and the reason for today’s support is to ensure that your efforts do not go unrecognised.”
Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, whose administration prioritises agriculture, praised the federal alignment. “Agriculture remains a priority of my administration… The removal of fuel subsidy has made more money available to the sub-nationals which has made us, as a state, to achieve more in the area of agriculture,” he said.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Abdullahi Sabi, endorsed the effort, noting that “with the provision of modern tools and implements, there would be enhanced productivity from farmers.”
The APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, highlighted broader infrastructure gains, including the Sokoto–Badagry Highway with over 300 dams, promising “increased agricultural production and improved transportation of farming season produce.”
