By Oluwakemi Kindness
The Bank of Agriculture (BoA) has proposed a strategic partnership with members of the House of Representatives to drive mechanised farming in Nigeria across all 360 federal constituencies.
The Managing Director of the bank, Ayo Sotinriade, presented the initiative during plenary at the National Assembly in Abuja, outlining a plan designed to boost food production, create jobs, and address insecurity through agricultural development.
Speaking to journalists afterward, he said the initiative is aimed at boosting food production, generating employment, reducing hunger, and tackling some of the root causes of insecurity nationwide.
According to Sotinriade, the programme aims to move Nigeria away from subsistence farming towards commercial-scale agriculture, positioning the country as a potential net exporter of food
He explained that each lawmaker would contribute 60 per cent of the cost of a tractor, which would then be deployed within their constituencies for use by local farmers.
He noted that a single tractor can cultivate at least five hectares per hour and up to 600 hectares annually. With a proposed rollout of 2,000 tractors nationwide, the initiative could cover approximately 1.2 million hectares of farmland each year, significantly improving agricultural productivity.
The BoA boss added that each constituency would establish a farming hub equipped with secured land and a tractor booking system to ensure efficient use of machinery. These hubs are expected to serve as integrated centres providing farmers with access to inputs, irrigation, financing, aggregation services, and extension support.
Sotinriade emphasized that irrigation will play a key role in enabling year-round farming, allowing for up to three planting cycles annually and improving crop yields to more than two tonnes per hectare.
He said the initiative has the potential to reduce poverty, enhance rural livelihoods, and tackle insecurity driven by unemployment and low incomes.
He also highlighted that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), particularly in states like Borno and Benue, could benefit through access to sustainable farming opportunities and economic reintegration.
