The Federal Government has opened discussions with Springfield Agro Limited on structured, long-term financing for Nigeria’s agricultural mechanization programme, aimed at equipping all 774 local government areas with tractors and reducing the financial burden on farmers.
The initiative, aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the agricultural sector, was disclosed at the commissioning of the Afcott Grains-Sesame and Grains Processing Facility in Kawakin Tofa Local Government Area, Kano State.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, said Nigeria’s food security goals cannot be achieved without a fully integrated agricultural value chain, Said
“Production must be matched with processing. Mechanization must be matched with financing. Policy must be matched with private-sector confidence and long-term investment,” he stressed.
He also conveyed the President’s commitment, saying:
Shettima said, “The Commissioning of the Afcott Grains Sesame and Grains Processing Facility as “not merely the inauguration of an industrial plant but a clear statement of the present administration’s resolve toward food sufficiency, value addition, and agro-industrial transformation.”
He noted Kano’s strategic importance to agricultural development, adding that the investments reflect a coordinated national effort to strengthen the sector.
“Taken together, these investments represent a deliberate industrial strategy reinforcing our agricultural ecosystem,” he said.
Highlighting the role of mechanization in driving productivity, he stated that agricultural transformation is anchored on key pillars across the value chain.
“Agricultural transformation rests on three critical pillars: inputs, mechanization, and processing. While the Springfield Agro Crop Protection facility strengthens input availability, and Afcott Grains expands value addition and processing capacity, mechanization remains essential to scaling productivity nationwide,” he emphasized.
On the government’s ongoing engagement with Springfield Agro, he disclosed:
“Following the submission of a proposal for structured, long-term financing to support mechanization programmes at both federal and state levels, the Presidency is currently engaging in constructive dialogue with the company’s management.”
“Accordingly, the Federal Government, under the Green Imperative Programme, has commenced structured mechanization support across the 774 Local Government Areas of the country, reflecting our firm commitment to modernizing agriculture and improving yields,” he said.
The Vice President commended investors and reiterated the administration’s openness to partnerships, stating:
“Together, we will move from potential to productivity, from subsistence to surplus, and from import dependence to industrial strength,” he affirmed, describing the projects as “milestones that continue to redefine Nigeria’s productive capacity and economic direction.”
He also praised Afcott Grains and the Kewalram Chanrai Group for sustained investment in Nigeria.
In his remarks, Kano State Governor Abba Kabir-Yusuf, represented by his Chief of Staff, Dr. Suleiman Wali, said the project reinforces Kano’s position as a leading agricultural hub in West Africa.
He stated that the state has continued to invest in mechanization, irrigation, and extension services to support agricultural growth.
