FG approves GHAPP, measures to address hunger

The United Nations, last month, predicted that 82 million Nigerians, or about 64 per cent of the country’s population, may go hungry by 2030. The Federal Government is leaving no stone unturned to address the looming food crisis.

One of the steps taken so far to deal with this matter was the recent approval of the Greener Hope National Agricultural Mechanisation Programme for food security and economic development by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

Initiated by Origin Tech Group with contributions from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the initiative promises to be a game-changer for the Nigerian agricultural ecosystem in the country’s quest for food sufficiency and economic growth.

The launch was announced by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, during the Committee meeting on the implementation of the Greener Hope National Agricultural Mechanisation Programme for food security and economic development in Abuja.

Approved on June 25, 2024, by the FEC, the programme aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Executive Order declaring a State of Emergency on food security. The programme targets the cultivation of 500,000 hectares of arable land, promotes advanced agricultural technologies, enhances agro-industrialisation, and encourages youth participation in agriculture. The overarching objective is to achieve food security, create jobs, and generate rural prosperity by mitigating urban migration.

The implementation involves the development of modern agricultural mechanisation service centres and hubs across 37 designated farming clusters. These centres will be equipped with assorted machinery for precision training, mechanisation, and agri-business, supplied by Origin Tech Group through its subsidiary, Origin Automobile Works, a leading company focused on expanding access to seamless large-scale agricultural mechanisation and invariably accelerating poverty eradication by increasing farmers productivity and rural prosperity.

It was gathered that the company plans to produce tractors yearly and establish mechanisation equipment enterprise centres nationwide, leveraging technical partnerships from South Korea, Taiwan, and Brazil.

Based on its template, the programme will secure facility from private sector financing, with a 20 per cent upfront counterpart fund from the Federal Government. The project will also benefit from duty exemptions and pioneer status, facilitated by the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

It was learnt that its execution will involve various ministries, departments, and agencies with specific roles and responsibilities. State governments and the Federal Capital Territory Authority are expected to invest in agricultural mechanisation and service centres, targeting 150,000 hectares spread across the six geopolitical zones. The repayment of the project facility over 10 years will be managed through incomes and earnings from the operations of planned farm estates and mechanisation services.

One of the key components of the programme is the training of youths, conducted by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the Chief of Defence Staff, and the National Security Adviser. The programme aims to re-engage young people in agriculture by offering comprehensive training on modern agricultural equipment and techniques. This initiative includes the establishment of a digital gateway for tractor hailing and recruitment, developed in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Communications.

The programme will also focus on the importance of modern infrastructure in boosting agricultural productivity.

Equipment involved in the project includes high-powered tractors, dozers, sprayers, planters, drones, and large-scale silos. Additionally, the establishment of equipment centres, data centers, and spare parts shops will ensure the efficient management and maintenance of agricultural machinery.

According to the outline, the programme is designed to be replicable and sustainable. With large-scale farms serving as models, the programme will extend its reach to smaller farms, providing technical support and resources. The involvement of international partners such as Campo Brazil will bring valuable expertise and support to the programme.

The GHAPP will represent a significant step towards transforming Nigeria’s agricultural sector, as it is a national emergency campaign and the first time the Federal Government is taking a private sector approach to a public sector need, aimed at increasing farmers’ wealth and invariably mitigating urban and semi-urban migration via availability of improved seedling and sundry agricultural productivity.

By promoting advanced mechanisation, which includes the supply of tractors, harvesters, boom sprayers, storage silos and data centres aimed at enhancing productivity, and capacity building as a means of engaging the youth and women, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, said the programme aims to secure Nigeria’s food future and drive economic growth, noting that the collaborative efforts of various ministries, state governments, and international partners will be crucial in realising the vision.