We Are Ready To Feed Ourselves – Oluremi Tinubu

Wife of the president, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has said Nigeria is ready to feed itself with the deliberate transition from subsistence farming to mechanised farming.

She stated this yesterday in Minna at the flag off of the 2026 farming season and distribution of mechanisation support equipment of 250 tractors, 50 combined harvesters and 150,000 bags of fertiliser by the Niger State government.

Mrs. Tinubu said, “Nigeria is ready to feed herself. It signals a deliberate transition from subsistence practices to modern, mechanised and commercially viable agriculture.”

Referencing efforts of the state government in providing the equipment, the first lady said, “This gesture will no doubt empower our farmers with the tools needed to increase productivity, enhance livelihoods and strengthen the GDP.”

She disclosed that President Tinubu had made it clear in 2023 that food availability and affordability must be treated as national priorities through direct support to farmers, timely release of fertiliser and other agricultural inputs.

The first lady noted that  Niger State had earned its place as one of Nigeria’s leading agricultural hubs by the state’s  commitment to showcasing agriculture as the most practical path to prosperity, job creation and sustainable development.

Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago said the initiative aligned with the vision of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the president in boosting agriculture for food self-sufficiency.

Bago said the 250 (75Hp) tractors are to be distributed across the 25 local government areas; 10 tractors per local government to bring the much-needed mechanisation to the grass-roots while the 50 combined multi crop harvester would be distributed to cut harvest time and reduce post-harvest losses  between 40 to 90% depending on the crop.

He added that the 1,500 farming implements comprising planters, boom sprayers, plough, harrows to make every hectare maximally productive and 150, 000 bags of fertiliser to support 40,000 small-holder farmers across the 25 local government areas of the state would be distributed in this farming season.

He added, “These investments will support farming activities on 120,000 hectares of land across the 25 LGAs, create about 2,000 direct jobs and roughly 100,000 indirect jobs with estimated yield of about 500,000 tons of assorted food products per season of both wet and dry season farming. What this mechanisation means is bumper harvest for our farmers and less hardship or drudgery.”