The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, on Monday hinted that the Federal Government had sealed a €995 million investment deal with the Brazilian Government and the German Deutsch Bank Group to finance a Green Hope Initiative programme in Nigeria.
Kyari, who made the disclosure during President Bola Tinubu’s visit to Minna, Niger State, said that the programme was designed to create mechanization hubs in each of the 774 local government areas in the country as part of its implementation plan to mechanize farming and boost agriculture sector’s contributions to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the years ahead.
He said: “A memorandum of understanding between the Federal Government and the John Deer Group, a subsidiary of Tata Equipment, was signed.
“The manufacturer has signed to deliver 10,000 units of tractors and implement in tranches of 2,000 units per annum for the next five years.
“The Greener Hope Initiative is another veritable platform the Federal Government is deploying to ultimately change the deficit narrative in the Nigerian agricultural mechanization space”, the minister added.
In his speech during the visit, President Bola Tinubu said his administration remained committed to ensuring food security and protection of local industries for Nigeria’s sustainable economic growth.
The president, who reiterated the administration’s commitment during the Food Security and Agricultural Mechanization Programme in Niger State, explained that the initiative was for the deployment of cutting-edge agricultural machinery and technology for improved large-scale agro-value chain productivity in the state.
He expatiated: “We have seen the level of commitment here. We have seen leadership. The success of any leader will depend on the ability to do what needs to be done when it ought to be done.
“It is now time for us to address the challenges and make Nigeria an economy of opportunities. We must care for our people; re-orient our people. I do not see why Nigeria cannot feed all students in its schools”, the President added.
