 has distributed 130 units of 13-horsepower power tiller machines to farmers in Kebbi State as part of efforts to strengthen food){kind=link}
By:Abdullahi Inuwa
The National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC) has distributed 130 units of 13-horsepower power tiller machines to farmers in Kebbi State as part of efforts to strengthen food production and accelerate agricultural mechanisation across the state.
The distribution ceremony, held in Birnin Kebbi, underscored the commission’s commitment to supporting farming communities and advancing the Federal Government’s food security drive under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Speaking during the event, the Managing Director of N-HYPPADEC, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq-Yelwa, said the intervention was designed to ease the burden of manual farming, improve productivity and empower rural farmers with modern agricultural tools.
Represented by his Special Adviser on Technical Matters, Prof. Yasir Abubakar, the managing director explained that the initiative formed part of the commission’s Agricultural Empowerment Programme aimed at transforming farming activities in hydroelectric power producing areas.
According to him, the commission procured 850 power tillers for distribution across its 10 member states, with Kebbi State receiving 130 units due to its strategic role in agricultural production.
He noted that the machines were distributed free of charge to carefully selected beneficiaries and urged the farmers to make effective use of the equipment to maximise food production and improve their livelihoods.
Sadiq-Yelwa stressed that the commission would closely monitor the utilisation of the machines to ensure the programme achieved its intended objectives.
“This intervention is aimed at promoting agricultural mechanisation, reducing drudgery and improving productivity among farmers in benefiting communities,” he said.
He further disclosed that N-HYPPADEC was already working on additional agricultural support initiatives, including the provision of extension services, hand-driven planters and knapsack sprayers to strengthen farming systems and improve agricultural value chains in member states.
The managing director described agriculture as a critical sector capable of driving economic growth, creating employment opportunities and addressing food shortages across the country.
Earlier in his remarks, the Kebbi State Commissioner for Agriculture, Alhaji Shehu Mu’azu, commended N-HYPPADEC for the intervention, describing it as timely and impactful.
He revealed that the initiative was conceived following consultations among hydroelectric power producing states on practical ways to improve agricultural productivity and modernise farming practices.
According to the commissioner, officials from participating states had undertaken a study visit to Thailand where they observed how the use of power tillers significantly enhanced agricultural output and reduced dependence on manual labour.
Mu’azu expressed optimism that the introduction of the machines in Kebbi would help farmers cultivate larger portions of land within a shorter period, ultimately boosting yields and supporting the state’s food sufficiency goals.
Farmers who attended the event welcomed the intervention, saying the machines would help reduce production costs and improve efficiency during the farming season.
The distribution comes at a time when governments and development agencies are intensifying efforts to tackle food insecurity and encourage mechanised farming as a sustainable solution to low agricultural productivity in Nigeria.
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