The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Sabo
Nanono has inaugurated an 18-member committee for implementation of Federal
Government’s Agriculture mechanisation programme called The Green Imperative
Programme (GIP).
Nanono said the programme was timely in view of the need to
feed the Nigerian population estimated at 200 million as well other African
countries which rely on Nigeria.
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The programme, which is estimated at $1.1 billion, is to be
funded by the Brazilian Government through a loan from the Deutsche Bank (DB),
Development Bank of Brazil and Islamic Development Bank.
The loan is expected to be repaid at three per cent interest
rate over a period of 15 years for Development Bank of Brazil and seven years
including two years moratorium for the DB.
The programme, which is expected to benefit 100,000 young
people directly and 5 million indirectly, is designed to enable Nigeria acquire
10,000 units of tractors and 50,000 units of assorted implement and equipment
for assembly in Nigeria.
It is also meant to ensure training of project beneficiaries
for over 10 years and establishment of 780 service centres to assist small
holder farmers prepare the soil, cultivate and harvest farm produce.
GIP is further designed to enhance agricultural
mechanisation specialised extension services and agro-processing in the 774
local government areas and the six area councils in the Federal Capital
Territory (FCT).
Nanono, who is chairman of the committee, emphasised the
needs to prioritise agricultural
mechanisation.
The minister, while lamenting that findings revealed that
the country have only 7, 000 functional tractors, expressed optimism that the
programme, which would have service centres in 632 local government areas and
140 processing centres, would achieve its mandate in view of the dire need to
boost production in the country.
According to him: “We have only 7,000 functional tractors in
this country. We have only seven tractors by 100 square kilometres.
“Compare that with Kenya that has 27 tractors by 100 square
kilometres. The standard is 127 per square kilometres. So you can imagine the
task before us.
“All these noise about this project we are launching today
is aimed at only 10,000 tractors. So to even catch up with Kenya, we need to
have 60,000 tractors, you can imagine the task before us”.