Wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has given a pass mark to the agricultural policy of Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, describing his initiative to provide direct support to farmers through the distribution of fertilizers and other agricultural inputs as aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda of
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on achieving food self-sufficiency.

Senator Tinubu made the commendation while performing the official flag-off of the 2026 farming season and the distribution of mechanization support equipment, including 250 tractors, 50 combine harvesters, and 150,000 bags of fertilizer. The event was held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport, Minna, on Saturday, May 2, 2026.

The First Lady noted that the ceremony signals a deliberate transition from subsistence farming to modern, mechanized, and commercially viable agriculture. She added that the initiative would empower farmers with the tools needed to increase productivity, improve livelihoods, and strengthen the nation’s GDP.

She stated that Niger State has earned its place as one of Nigeria’s leading agricultural hubs, noting that the state continues to demonstrate that agriculture remains a practical pathway to prosperity, job creation, and sustainable development.

Senator Tinubu urged beneficiaries to make effective use of the tools and fertilizers provided, encouraging them to embrace modern farming techniques. She stressed that reliance on hoes and cutlasses alone can no longer meet the food demands of the country’s growing population.

Earlier, Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago said the flag-off of the agricultural intervention programme was aimed at revitalizing farming activities and boosting food production in the state.

He explained that the 250 (75HP) tractors would be distributed across the 25 local government areas, with 10 tractors allocated to each council to enhance grassroots mechanization. He added that 50 multi-crop combine harvesters would help reduce harvest time and post-harvest losses, which currently range between 40 and 90 percent, depending on the crop.

The governor further disclosed that 1,500 farming implements—including planters, boom sprayers, ploughs, and harrows—would be deployed to maximize productivity per hectare. Additionally, 150,000 bags of fertilizer would support about 40,000 smallholder farmers across the state.

“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 an estimated yield of about 500,000 tonnes of assorted food products per season, covering both wet and dry farming. What this mechanization means is a bumper harvest for our farmers and less hardship or drudgery,” he said.

Niger State Commissioner for Agriculture, Alhaji Isah Sidi, noted that the distribution of the tractors marks a significant step toward mechanizing agricultural activities in the state. He said it would increase efficiency, expand cultivated areas, and improve productivity, alongside the provision of essential inputs such as fertilizers and agrochemicals.

In their separate goodwill messages, the Minister of Agriculture, Abdullahi Sabi, and the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris Malagi, commended Governor Bago for prioritizing agriculture in line with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.