The Nigerian Agricultural Mechanisation and Equipment Leasing Company (NAMEL) on Thursday entered into partnership with Mantrac Nigeria Limited to deepen farmers’ access to lands for agricultural use across Nigeria.
Ahmed Adekunle, CEO, NAMEL, speaking at the MoU signing in Abuja, said the collaboration was aimed at opening up additional hectares of arable land with a minimum of 13,000 hectares per state and increase annual food production in the country.
He said, “The main objective of this project is to open up additional 500,000 hectares of arable land with a minimum of 13,000 hectares in each state and FCT from over 47 million hectares of unused arable land in the country”.
Adekunle explained that the high cost of proper agricultural land development often discouraged most investors in primary production, adding that there was need for the government to promote commercial agriculture by developing contiguous farmlands and give farmers access to lands.
According to Adekunle, the project is structured to complement and optimise government efforts and resources in land development using a cost split mechanism to support smallholder farmers and youth empowerment programmes in the country.
“The project will complement and optimise the government effort in land development using a cost split mechanism to support small holder farmer and youth empowerment programs while creating a flexible investment window for medium and large scale primary production investor to open more land with less initial cost,” he said.
Ahmed Ragab, managing director, MANTRAC, said the project aimed to empower farmers as well take away the financial burden from the federal, state and local government, adding that the projects had potentials of creating jobs, increasing agricultural product and ensuring food security in the country.
“We are excited and confident that our presence in Nigeria will empower farmers and boost agriculture in the country. This project will create more jobs, crops, food and increased industrial activities. “The project aims at taking away the financial burden from the federal, state and local government, investors as well as the farmers through the use of flexible deferred payment model while enhancing the needed capacity for small and medium scale farmers to expand their areas under cultivation and increase their productivity,” he said.
Audu Ogbeh, minister of agriculture, said the partnership was a significant step to complement the efforts of the government to accelerate and deepen the pace of mechanisation in Nigeria, adding that there was need to compel the high population and the imperative of achieving national food sufficiency as quick as possible.
“With NAMEL and MANTRAC working collaboratively as partners on this project, I believe that we shall record resounding success given your commitment and attention to details in terms of project design, complemented with flexible financial payment terms, embedded value chain development and marketing processes.
“The National Agricultural Land Development project is our focus and it aims at bringing an additional 500,000 hectares across the country for cultivation and optimal use. Undoubtedly, land can be optimally used when it is prepared and developed through the application of new knowledge, enterprise and technology,” he said.
