PICTORIAL: NEC Endorses NASENI’s Solar Irrigation Pumps For Nationwide Rollout

The National Economic Council (NEC) has endorsed solar-powered irrigation pumps produced by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) for nationwide rollout ahead of the 2025 dry season farming.

The decision was taken at the 152nd meeting of the Council held on Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima.

The NASENI solar irrigation pumps, designed to replace petrol-powered pumps, are expected to reinforce Nigeria’s food security strategy by increasing agricultural productivity, lowering operational costs, raising farmers’ incomes, and improving rural livelihoods.

In anticipation of President Bola Tinubu’s approval, NEC mandated the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, to work out modalities for funding to enable NASENI to mass-produce the pumps in time for the 2025 dry season.

In a statement by his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, Vice President Shettima hailed the innovation as proof of Nigerian ingenuity, stressing that the scaled-up solar irrigation pumps demonstrated the capacity of the nation to compete globally.

“We must also face the challenge of innovation in agriculture. NASENI’s scaled-up solar irrigation pumps are ready for national rollout ahead of the 2025 dry season.

“These pumps replace expensive petrol-powered systems, lower farmers’ costs, expand dry-season cultivation, and even provide backup power for households.

“Their advanced features, including GPS tracking, mobile app dashboards, usage monitoring, and pay-as-you-go integration, prove that Nigerian ingenuity can compete with the world,” the Vice President said.

He added that the innovation would not only boost food security but also unlock carbon credit opportunities for farmers nationwide.

The Vice President also highlighted other efforts by the Tinubu administration to guarantee food security, noting that 250,000 farmers have been insured across eight states, while the 30 per cent Value Addition Bill advancing, and the ₦250 billion Bank of Agriculture facility being activated to reach smallholders.

According to updates from the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit, Shettima disclosed that the Green Imperative Project with Brazil is being repositioned for financing, while the World Bank-backed AGROW programme is mapping priority value chains for rollout.

He also revealed that the Harvesting Hope Caravan has reached half a million citizens in eight states, “building trust and grassroots mobilisation. These are lifelines to farmers and proof that NEC’s decisions resonate beyond these chambers.”

Other highlights of the NEC meeting include; Account Balances (as at 17th September, 2025):• Excess Crude Account – $535,823.33 • Stabilisation Account – ₦83,495,784,133.24 and • Natural Resources Account – ₦125,818,396,257.41.

Also, the CEO of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) briefed the Council on global trends and risks, including uneven global growth, divergent inflation and policy, rising geopolitical tensions, and climate and technological shifts.

Key reform challenges in Nigeria were identified as:structural Bottlenecks: Energy and transport deficiencies inflate production costs, while foreign exchange liquidity crises and over-reliance on oil weaken fiscal sustainability.Political Economy Risks: Political instability, frequent policy reversals, corruption, and the upcoming 2027 election may delay reforms.Global Pressures: Climate change, trade tensions, capital flight, and a weak industrial base facing AfCFTA competition.

The Summit sub-themes include: driving industrialisation-led growth, building infrastructure for competitiveness, and unlocking investment amid global shifts.

The Council resolved to actively participate in the Summit to synergise ideas and mobilise support for President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, briefed the Council on Nigeria’s Anticipatory Action Framework, designed to reduce the humanitarian and economic impact of riverine flooding.

Objectives include protecting vulnerable households in 13 high-risk states, enabling timely interventions, institutionalising anticipatory action across MDAs, and ensuring equity in response.

The Framework prioritises multipurpose cash assistance with ₦24 billion earmarked, while support measures include evacuation sites, early warning systems, child protection, and gender-based violence prevention.

The Council noted that while 16 states have fully established Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMCs), 14 states have none, four have partial setups, and three rely solely on desk officers. Governors were urged to strengthen SEMAs and step down risk communication to vulnerable communities.

The Council commended the ONSA for the framework and directed it to widen the scope to include more states, with the final document to be submitted at the next NEC meeting.

The governor of Jigawa State, Umar Namadi, presented a memo on the impact of energy costs on food production.

He urged the government to optimise fertiliser costs through the PFSCU’s mandate to liberalise the fertiliser regime and make smaller handheld implements available for smallholder farmers.

He also reminded NEC of President Tinubu’s earlier directive for NASENI to ramp up production of between 50,000 to 100,000 pumps for distribution to states on a needs basis.

The Council resolved to tackle high energy and fertiliser costs and directed the Minister of State for Petroleum (Gas) to interface with industry stakeholders to address gas cost and availability, with a report due at the next meeting.

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