By Abdullahi Inuwa
In a bold move to revolutionise food production in northern Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is set to visit Katsina State this Friday, May 2, to officially unveil a state-of-the-art Agricultural Mechanisation Centre—a major boost to his administration’s food security and rural development agenda.
The high-capacity mechanisation hub, the first of its kind in the North West, is located on the outskirts of Katsina town and is expected to serve thousands of farmers across the region with modern tractors, harvesters, processing equipment, and training facilities.
Presidency sources confirmed that the centre is part of the Renewed Hope Agricultural Transformation Scheme, designed to transition Nigeria from subsistence to mechanised farming and position agriculture as a viable economic backbone for rural communities.
President Tinubu, who will be accompanied by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, and other top officials, is expected to commission the facility alongside Governor Malam Dikko Umaru Radda.
“This project is a clear demonstration of Mr. President’s commitment to not just talking agriculture, but making it work. It’s about bringing the farm closer to the future,” said a senior aide at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.
The unveiling is expected to attract farming cooperatives, traditional rulers, youth groups, and stakeholders from across the state and beyond. Already, excitement is building in the state capital, as residents prepare to give the President a rousing welcome.
Governor Radda, a strong advocate of agricultural reform, hailed the centre as “a game changer,” noting that it aligns with his administration’s rural economic development blueprint.
“This is more than a building – it’s a revolution in motion. Mechanisation will reduce drudgery, increase yields, and open the door for our young people to see farming as a profitable enterprise,” Radda said.
The centre will also host demonstration farms and maintenance workshops to ensure sustainability and local job creation. Officials say it will directly engage over 1,200 workers in its first phase, and indirectly benefit more than 10,000 smallholder farmers in Katsina and neighbouring states.
Analysts describe the Katsina launch as a strategic move by Tinubu to reassert federal presence in the rural economy, especially at a time when food inflation and insecurity are pressing national concerns.
The President’s itinerary on Friday also includes meetings with farmers’ associations and visits to selected irrigation sites under the National Agricultural Growth Scheme.
As Katsina counts down to the historic event, the message from the people is clear: agriculture is back at the centre of Nigeria’s future – and Tinubu is driving the tractor.
Abdullahi Inuwa Social Commentator ainuwa303@gmail.com
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