Ogun Senator Empowers 2,557 Farmers with Tractors, Farm Inputs and ₦100,000 Grants

No fewer than 2,557 farmers across Ogun State have benefited from an agricultural empowerment programme that provided tractors, farm equipment, agricultural inputs and cash grants to boost food production and improve productivity.

The initiative, organised by the Senator representing Ogun West, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, equipped beneficiaries with 10 tractors and their attachments, 250 haulage tricycles, 1,500 knapsack sprayers, 8,000 bags of NPK and urea fertiliser, 1,000 solar and petrol-powered water pumps, 1,000 seed planters, 17 power tillers, seeds, seedlings, organic fertilisers, and other essential farming tools. Each beneficiary also received a ₦100,000 cash grant to support farming activities.

Speaking during the second edition of the programme in Ilaro, Ogun State, Adeola said the intervention was introduced to tackle key challenges affecting agricultural productivity, including the high cost of farm equipment, limited access to financing and inadequate mechanisation.

He explained that the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s broader efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural sector through increased investment in mechanisation, irrigation and farmer support programs.

According to the senator, the Federal Government has established the ₦100 billion National Agriculture Development Fund, launched the Earn From the Soil Initiative, committed ₦350 billion to dam irrigation projects and begun procuring 2,000 tractors to support agricultural production nationwide.

Adeola also disclosed that funding has been allocated to the newly created Ministry of Livestock, with plans to establish ranches in Ogun State and six other states as part of efforts to modernise livestock production.

He urged beneficiaries to use the equipment and inputs to increase agricultural output rather than sell them, adding that a central management system would oversee the operation and maintenance of tractors and other motorised equipment to ensure their long-term sustainability.

The senator further commended the Ogun State Government for implementing farmer-focused initiatives, including financial support program, improved access to farmland for young farmers and investments in agricultural infrastructure.

Reflecting on the impact of the program, Adeola noted that the maiden edition benefited 5,910 farmers through the distribution of tractors, haulage tricycles and fertilisers. He expressed confidence that the expanded intervention would further enhance food production, improve farmers’ livelihoods and strengthen food security across the state.