The First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, on Saturday, inaugurated agricultural implements for farmers across the 25 local government areas of Niger State for the 2026 farming season.
The inauguration was held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport in Minna.
The implements inaugurated are, 250 tractors, 50 combine harvesters, 150,000 fertilisers, 1,500 planters, plough, boom sprayers, and harrows.
In her remarks, the First Lady said Niger has earned its place as one of Nigeria’s leading agricultural hubs.
She also stated that the state under the leadership of Gov Umaru-Bago has continued to show that agriculture remained the most practical path to prosperity, job creation, and sustainability.
Sen. Tinubu noted that the event was a bold statement that Nigeria was ready to feed herself and also signaling a deliberate transition from subsistence practices to modern, mechanised and commercially viable agriculture.
She said that the gesture would, no doubt, empower farmers with the tools needed to increase productivity, enhance livelihoods, and strengthen the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country.
Sen. Tinubu said the initiative of the Niger Govenor aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President who made it clear that food availability and affordability must be treated as national priorities.
She congratulated the farmers who are the beneficiaries of the implements, describing them as the backbone of the nation’s survival.
The first lady urged them to make judicious use of the implements provided and approach the farming season with renewed determination and readiness to embrace modern agricultural methods.
The state governor, Umaru-Bago, said the investment in agriculture was to support farming activities on 120,000 hectares of land across the 25 local government areas of the state and create about 3,000 direct and indirect jobs, among others.
He said that the launching of the agricultural tools and input would greatly improve the entire agriculture chain beyond the state.
The governor said that agriculture remained a top priority, adding that his administration was passionate about making the state a major source of food for the nation.
Umaru-Bago called on farmers and other stakeholders to work with the Niger Food Security and Logistics Limited, a state-owned enterprise, in achieving the target.
The governor appealed to the First Lady to consider the numerous untapped agricultural potentials of the state and sustain her support by facilitating more agricultural investments in the state for the benefit of the nation in general.
Also speaking, the Minister of state for Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Aliyu Abdullahi, observed that the event was a process of making Nigeria great.
He said President Tinubu had been very clear in his vision of national food security and food sovereignty.
The minister said the ministry partnered with states and all other stakeholders within the agricultural sector to “produce what we eat and eat what we produce.”
The minister commended the governor for providing leadership that would increase agricultural productivity.
The Secretary to the Niger State Government (SSG), Abubakar Usman, said the event represented a major step in the agricultural mechanisation programme of the governor.
The SSG reflected his resolve to modernise farming practices, boost productivity, and empower farmers to succeed in the agricultural landscape.