By GN Gbenga Fabamigbe , Chairperson, GNA Feed Our Nation Initiative (FNI) Professional Group
As Nigeria celebrates a bold step toward agricultural transformation under the Renewed Hope Agricultural Mechanisation Programme, the Great Nigerian Assembly (GNA), through its Feed Our Nation Initiative (FNI), commends President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security for this historic distribution of 2,000 tractors, 50 bulldozers, 12 mobile workshops, and over 9,000 farming implements.
This unprecedented rollout is not merely an equipment distribution, it is a lifeline to Nigeria’s food security, rural development, job creation, and national prosperity. It reflects a paradigm shift from subsistence to commercial-scale agriculture, and from rhetoric to real, tangible action.
However, as professionals and patriots under the Great Nigerian Assembly (GNA), a non-political, non-governmental coalition of Nigerian professionals home and abroad, focused on good governance, empowerment, and national development, we urge critical attention to a few key areas if this initiative is to fulfill its promise.
ENSURING SECURITY FOR FARMERS TO FLOURISH
GN (Dr.) Ikechi Agbugba, a distinguished agricultural economist and member of the FNI Advisory Council, emphasized that without security, this investment risks being undermined. “We cannot mechanize fear. Farmers must be safe to produce. A secure environment is foundational to achieving agricultural prosperity,” he noted. Rural banditry, land disputes, and herder-farmer crises must be addressed holistically so that our farmers can operate in peace and confidence.
NEED FOR MONITORING, MAINTENANCE & STATE PARTNERSHIP
GN (Dr.) Sunday Adebiyi, a medical practitioner, Board Member of the GNA Global Board of Trustees (GBoT), and a practicing farmer himself, lauded the initiative as “timely and transformational,” but stressed the need for robust monitoring and decentralized collaboration. “Let state governments match this effort by contributing additional tractors and support resources to reach more farming communities. Agriculture is local. States must step in.”
A CALL FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND SYSTEMS THINKING
In his endorsement, GN (Dr.) Kayode Elusoji, Executive Director of the GNA, called for a digital tracking system to monitor each piece of equipment—its location, usage condition, and performance. He noted, “Let us not allow these tractors to become idle monuments. They must be tracked, maintained, and utilized effectively. Every tractor should be accessible to local government areas and registered cooperatives. Operators must be trained, and parts must be available. This is how we turn policy into productivity.”
He also emphasized that a centralized monitoring dashboard integrated with GPS tracking can ensure transparency and curb misuse. Such accountability, he said, is consistent with the GNA’s mission to drive governance reforms and development at all levels of society.
GNA: HARNESSING PROFESSIONAL CAPACITY TO FEED NIGERIA
The Great Nigerian Assembly (GNA) was founded to mobilize the expertise of Nigerian professionals across 16 sectors—including agriculture, health, education, ICT, and governance—for national development. Under its Feed Our Nation Initiative (FNI), GNA is focused on building sustainable food systems, empowering local farmers, promoting agripreneurship among youth, and developing smart farming solutions.
GNA believes that true transformation in agriculture requires not only equipment, but enabling policy, capacity building, data-driven deployment, and grassroots support.
We are currently launching community-based agricultural hubs across the nation, organizing youth mechanisation training programs, and collaborating with ministries, financial institutions, and technology firms to optimize impact.
MOVING FORWARD: FROM PROMISE TO PROSPERITY
President Tinubu’s vision of turning Nigeria into a global agricultural powerhouse is bold and commendable. But it must now be grounded in local realities and supported by institutional frameworks that sustain impact long after the ribbon is cut.
The GNA Feed Our Nation Initiative hereby calls on:
- State Governments to augment this federal effort with local-level partnerships;
- The Ministry of Agriculture to decentralize training and equipment access to LGAs;
- Security agencies to prioritize protection of farmlands and farming communities;
- Private Sector Players to support mechanisation with technology and finance;
- All Stakeholders to collaborate with transparency, urgency, and integrity.
Let this be not just another government programme, but a revolution in our national food systems.
Together, let us Feed Our Nation.
GN Gbenga Fagbamigbe
Chairperson, GNA Feed Our Nation Initiative (FNI)
Supported by:
GN (Dr.) Ikechi Agbugba – Member, FNI Advisory Council
GN (Dr.) Sunday Adebiyi – Member, GNA Global Board of Trustees (GBoT)
GN (Dr.) Kayode Elusoji – Executive Director, Great Nigerian Assembly (GNA)
For more about the Great Nigerian Assembly and our developmental efforts, visit:
www.greatnigerian.org
“Nigeria will not only feed itself but nourish the world—if we do this right.” – GNA
