Farmers Struggle with Mechanization Funding in Nigeria

Farmers in Nigeria are struggling to access mechanization due to a lack of funds, as lamented by rice millers, including Peter Dama. He pointed out that despite ongoing efforts to improve mechanization, the high costs of equipment and the current economic situation discourage participation.

Dama emphasized that many farmers cannot afford tractors or irrigation equipment, which limits their productivity. The Federal Government, under President Bola Tinubu, plans to launch the Renew Hope Nation Agricultural Mechanization Program in June 2025, which will unveil 2,000 tractors, 10 combine harvesters, and 12 mobile workshops to support 550,000 farm households across 500,000 hectares of farmland annually.

However, the distribution of these resources will not commence immediately, with a formal rollout expected in February 2026. The Bank of Agriculture will oversee the implementation, ensuring a transparent framework for resource allocation and maintenance.