The Niger State Government has officially launched the 2026 farming season with the distribution of farm implements to farmers across all 25 local government areas, in a move aimed at strengthening agricultural productivity and food security.
The flag-off ceremony took place at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport and was declared open by Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu.
In her remarks, the First Lady described the initiative as a clear demonstration of Nigeria’s commitment to agricultural transformation, rural development, and sustainable food systems. She commended Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago for prioritizing agriculture and positioning the state as a major hub for food production.
Governor Bago emphasized that the programme is not merely symbolic but marks the beginning of a large-scale rollout of agricultural inputs and machinery. He revealed that the state has invested heavily in tractors, harvesters, fertilizers, and other modern tools to support over 40,000 smallholder farmers.
According to him, the initiative builds on the agricultural mechanization drive introduced in 2024 under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, aimed at boosting nationwide food production.
In goodwill messages, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi; the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; and the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Nentawe Yilwatda, congratulated the state government and urged farmers to make effective use of the distributed resources.
The programme is expected to support the cultivation of about 120,000 hectares of farmland, create thousands of jobs, and produce an estimated 500,000 metric tons of food per season. The initiative is also projected to ease economic hardship and strengthen food security through expanded mechanized farming.
The Niger State Government reaffirmed its commitment to using agriculture as a key driver of economic growth and sustainable development.
