Category: The Nation – Nigeria

Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, has pledged continued government support for markets across the state’s 34 local government areas.

He said all markets were now fully open following improved security.

Radda made the pledge while receiving leaders of market associations, led by Katsina State Internal Revenue Service Chairman Isyaku Mohammed, at Government House, Katsina.

‘Although we cannot say that security challenges have been completely eradicated, there is a visible and significant improvement compared to where we started in 2023. Today, all our markets are open for economic activities,’ Radda said, adding that open markets would strengthen local economies, create jobs and boost government revenue.

He urged the associations to continue supporting revenue mobilisation efforts and ensure members complied with market regulations, while assuring continued investment in market infrastructure.

Mohammed said engaging organised market associations had improved revenue collection from the informal sector over the past three years. Coalition chairman Bashir Ibrahim Faskari commended the administration for modernising markets, citing new facilities in Mashi, Daura, Charanchi and Mai’adua.

A legal practitioner and author, Timothy Tugbiyele, has urged Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, to apologise to Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo over a social media post in which the singer shared the governor’s alleged West African Examinations Council (WAEC) result.

Tugbiyele made the appeal in a video posted on Facebook on Monday while commenting on the political exchanges surrounding the August 15 Osun State governorship election.

The controversy began after Governor Okpebholo, while campaigning for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO, mocked Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke over his frequent dancing.

The Edo governor said, ‘Before somebody signs paper, he will dance. Are you not tired? For four years, this man has been dancing. Before he takes breakfast, before he drinks tea, he will dance.’

Shortly after the remarks, Davido, who has been actively supporting his uncle Governor Adeleke’s re-election campaign, shared what appeared to be Okpebholo’s WAEC result on his Instagram Story without any caption.

Reacting to the development, Tugbiyele said Davido’s response was inappropriate and should have been handled differently.

‘I watched a video when Governor Okpebholo called the governor of my state, Adeleke, the dancing governor. And the governor’s relation, David Adeleke, replied by publishing the WAEC Secondary School leaving result of Governor Okpebholo, the governor of Edo State,’ he said.

While acknowledging that the alleged examination result was not impressive, the lawyer argued that it should not have been used to ridicule the governor.

‘The result is not good enough, but it’s possible. The governor did a resit. We are not aware of that, but I think Davido, David Adeleke’s publication is inappropriate,’ he said.

According to Tugbiyele, Governor Adeleke could have responded to Okpebholo through official government channels rather than allowing a family member to engage in the exchange.

‘Governor Adeleke, Ademola Adeleke, would have replied his contemporary governor, or caused one of his workers, maybe a commissioner of information or a special assistant, to reply. Not Davido, David Adeleke,’ he said.

He further argued that Davido and Governor Okpebholo occupy different positions in society and should not engage each other in that manner.

‘David Adeleke and the governor of the state, they are not in the same social class. They are not of the same status. They are not in the same class,’ Tugbiyele said.

Describing Davido’s action as disrespectful, the lawyer appealed to the singer to apologise.

‘I think what Davido did is disrespectful and I will plead with him, he should exercise some humility and apologise,’ he said.

Tugbiyele added that he had previously seen photographs of Davido showing respect to elders.

‘I’ve seen his pictures in time past, prostrating. He’s a properly well-brought-up Yoruba boy,’ he said.

He also dismissed suggestions that the exchange should simply be accepted as part of politics.

‘I have heard it said by one of the political leaders that everything is fair in politics. No, when you are fighting below the belt, when you are insulting, when you disrespect elders, that is not fair in politics,’ he said.

The lawyer urged Davido’s elders to advise him, stressing that political disagreements should not become personal attacks.

‘You do not disrespect elders. He should apologise to Okpebholo. I’m not saying what Okpebholo did is right, to disrespect his uncle, but it should not be an eye for an eye,’ he said.

Tugbiyele also argued that poor academic performance should not define an individual’s future, drawing from his own experience.

‘I’ve had results that are not, I mean, results not good enough. But one of the things that has kept me going is that I had a father who never called me a dullard. He continued to encourage me,’ he said.

He added, ‘So, oh, Governor Okpebholo had a result that was not good enough. He’s governor today. All of that, the bad result is in the past. Politics does not really have to go to that extent.’

Concluding his remarks, Tugbiyele made a direct appeal to the singer.

‘Davido, David Adeleke, please, as a proper Yoruba, please apologise to Governor Okpebholo. God bless you, David. God bless Nigeria,’ he said.

The comments come amid heightened political activity ahead of Saturday’s Osun State governorship election, where Davido has remained an outspoken supporter of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s bid for a second term.

The alarming rate of abandoned projects in Nigeria has caught the attention of the Federal Government, and this has elicited a reaction from the Accountant- General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi. In a memo he issued at the end of July, he warned that no ministry, department or agency of the Federal Government should award contracts without confirming availability of funds.

He attributed the abandoned projects, some dating back to decades, to indiscipline and flagrant disregard for the Procurement Act 2007.

It is surprising that it took so long for successive administrations to take necessary steps to curb the embarrassing act.

Over the years, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had cried out that many projects initiated by lawmakers as constituency projects were merely used as conduit pipes to funnel public funds into private pockets of the legislators and their cronies.

There were others who meant well, but could not carry out their plans before the end of their tenures.

This also applied to the executive where there were attempts to impress people in different parts of the country. This trend becomes particularly visible towards the end of a term. Desperate to have things to report to the electorate, all forms of projects are flagged off without due consideration for available funds.

This is sheer indiscipline and a waste of public funds. The money that could be spent on one or two projects that could be completed in record time is distributed to about 20 that are thereafter dumped for so long. By the time the government is ready to execute them, variation of contract sum would have become inevitable.

Besides, contractors owed shout from the roof tops to recover their investments, thus embarrassing the government. Whereas there are adequate provisions to guide the award of contracts, they have been largely ignored as sanctions are rarely applied.

Unless rules, regulations and laws are scrupulously adhered to, the road to development would remain very long.

Apart from the Procurement Act, the financial Instructions guiding the public service have adequate provisions to sanitise the system. They should apply them.

Now that the Tinubu administration is ready to ensure that all are whipped into line, those who flout the laws should be brought to justice. When this is done, others would sit up and the nation would be the better for it.

The offices of the auditor-general, accountant-general and Secretary to the Government of the Federation have to wake up and advise the National Executive Council every year after proper audit. And, when this is done, the president should waste no time in showing aberrant officials the way out of service, be no matter how highly placed.

Nigeria has continued to lag behind other nations, even in Africa, for too long. The only way citizens could assist in this wise is by strict accountability by the government. If findings are made public and reasons for weeding out errant officials are made public, others would try to avoid travelling the same road.

Members of the National Assembly who also have oversight function over the MDAs should justify their election and humongous pay by keeping their eyes on the public account. Every legislature has a Public Accounts Committee and it has a duty to ensure that the office of the auditor-general functions optimally and files up-to-date reports.

While the memo is from the Accountant-General of the Federation, states should take a cue and ensure that they act accordingly, too.

The anti-graft agencies should swing into action by ensuring that, where corruption is the basis for such indiscriminate contract awards, erring officials are prosecuted. Nigeria has been too tolerant of aberrant behaviours. It must stop now.

A socio-political movement in Osun State has declared its support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Ademola Adeleke ahead of the forthcoming presidential and governorship elections.

The Convener of the General Gbasky Movement, Aponbiede Ayodeji, announced the decision at a press conference yesterday. He explained that the endorsement followed extensive consultations with members, political stakeholders, youth groups, women leaders, community representatives, and associates across the state.

Ayodeji said the movement unanimously adopted Tinubu as its preferred presidential candidate, citing his commitment to national development, economic reforms, infrastructure, and the Renewed Hope Agenda.

He also confirmed the group’s endorsement of Governor Adeleke for re-election, noting the governor’s focus on infrastructure development, workers’ welfare, education, healthcare, and people-oriented governance.

‘Our movement has always placed the interests of the people above personal or political considerations. We remain committed to supporting leaders who can advance the welfare and prosperity of our nation and Osun State,’ Ayodeji said.

According to him, the endorsements were based on the movement’s assessment of leadership performance, vision, and commitment to the people rather than partisan interests.

He urged members and supporters to remain peaceful and law-abiding while actively participating in the democratic process. Ayodeji also appealed to political parties and their supporters to shun violence, intimidation, and hate speech during the elections.

‘Elections should be a celebration of democracy, not a source of conflict,’ he emphasised.

The convener added that the General Gbasky Movement would continue to focus on grassroots mobilisation, political education, youth empowerment, and community development, while working with stakeholders to promote peaceful, free, fair, and credible elections in Osun State.

Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr Rabiu Umar, has said that the Federal Government has put an end to the era of dirty fuels in the country.

This, he said, had strengthened the country’s capacity to maximise its potential in the supply and trading of petroleum products within and beyond the West African subregion.

Umar spoke at a press conference to herald the West Africa Refined Fuel Conference which took place in Abuja on August 11 and 12.

The event was jointly hosted by the NMDPRA, SandP Global Commodity Insights, and the West Africa Regulators Forum.

At the height of military dictatorship in the country over two decades ago, particularly during the General Sani Abacha regime, importation of toxic fuel posed a heinous challenge in Nigeria. Across urban and rural areas in the country, the offensive odour of imported substandard fuel could be smelt from far distances to fuel stations.

It was believed that the criminal importation of such toxic fuel was the handiwork of unscrupulous importers with backing at the highest levels of government.

Thus, despite the outcry in the media against the obnoxious practice, no one was ever brought to book for what was the equivalent of a crime against humanity within Nigeria’s territorial space.

Although the challenge of the importation of toxic fuel appears to have been put behind us for several years now, the problem of impure fuel, going by Mr Umar’s exposition, seems to have persisted at a more surreptitious but no less dangerous level.

This is why it is good news that the relevant authorities now make it mandatory that all petrol supplied in the country comply with a maximum sulphuric content of 50 parts per million (ppm), in accordance with cleaner fuel standards being adopted across Africa.

The NMDPRA boss explained that harmonisation of fuel specificities throughout West Africa would make it easier for petroleum products refined in one country to be traded across the region without technical barriers constituting a hindrance.

Mr Umar gave the assurance that ‘There has been progress in harmonising fuel specifications through the West Africa Regulators Forum and the Africa Refiners and Distributors Association. Nigeria does not produce anything above 50 ppm. Whatever we are producing is within that specification’.

Experts have commended this significant policy shift, which is a marked departure from the period when the country routinely imported high-sulphuric fuels also referred to as dirty fuels.

One of the negative consequences of the use of pervasive dirty fuel is severe air pollution in areas where such petrol is patronised. The deleterious implications of such harmful petrol on the climate at a time when there is global concern about such destructive consequences as ozone layer depletion and Greenhouse gas emissions resulting in global warming and climate change, cannot be overemphasised.

There are also the debilitating consequences for human health of substandard fuels which have been linked to organic dysfunctions such as cancer, as well as assorted respiratory diseases.

No less serious is the harmful effect of dirty fuels on vehicles, which frequently develop mechanical faults that cost their owners substantial sums of money to repair.

The malfunctioning of vehicles as a result of dirty fuels also leads to accidents in which limbs are injured and lives lost.

Overall, the maintenance of the highest standards of fuel quality across West Africa will help achieve the region’s objective of establishing a credible petroleum marketing zone where products can be traded transparently, efficiently and competitively.

Nigeria stands to benefit greatly from this development as the more her products meet high-quality standards, the better she is positioned to play a bigger role in supplying refined petroleum products to neighbouring African markets as regional refining capacity expands.

It is, however, critical that the country continues to ensure that the regulatory authorities remain vigilant, focused and unrelenting in the task of enforcing the requisite standards.

We are optimistic that beyond maintaining the stipulated standards in fuel quality, other factors identified as critical to the vitality of the petroleum industry in West Africa, such as strengthening infrastructure, harmonising regulations and improving market data to attract greater investment will continue to be top priorities of the sector’s authorities in the region.

The Association of Nigerian Artisans and Technicians (ASNAT) has pledged to mobilise more than five million votes for President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima in the 2027 general election.

The pledge was made at the three-day Nigerian Artisans Leadership Summit at Ladi Kwali Hall, Continental Hotel, Abuja, where the association launched ‘Operation 30-30 2027,’ an initiative to mobilise at least 30 artisans per polling unit nationwide in support of the Tinubu-Shettima ticket.

ASNAT National Patron and Director-General of the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations, Sanusi Garba Rikiji, said artisans contributed between 35 and 40 per cent of the votes that secured the APC’s 2023 victory, a claim not independently verified by this newspaper.

‘Operation 30-30 means mobilising 30 artisans per polling unit across each of the political wards nationwide that can influence others for Tinubu/Shettima 2027,’ Rikiji said, adding that the initiative would run through the association’s nationwide network.’

ASNAT National Coordinator, Adeshina Akinyemi, said the group would soon begin nationwide voter education and Permanent Voter Card mobilisation. Senator Abdul’aziz Yari Abubakar, represented by Senator Tijjani Yahaya, described artisans as the backbone of the economy and pledged support for their welfare.

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), has charged officers, men and women of the anti-narcotics institution to remain resilient in the face of the persistent drug challenge, which he described as a generational responsibility.

He delivered the charge on Thursday during the 12th Chairman/Chief Executive Officer’s Commendations and Awards ceremony at the Agency’s national headquarters in Abuja, where he honoured 274 personnel for outstanding performance in the discharge of their duties, as well as 18 best-performing commands and 19 NGOs and media organisations for their commitment to the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy in Nigeria.

According to him, ‘The war against illicit drugs is not a campaign with an end date. It is a generational responsibility. For every cartel we dismantle, intelligence tells us another will attempt to rise. For every corridor we shut down, traffickers will search for another route.’

He explained that the fight against drug trafficking could never be won by enforcement alone, noting that NGOs work quietly within communities to walk young people back from the edge of addiction, while journalists have told difficult stories on trafficking routes, rehabilitation, and family recovery that are not always easy to tell.

He acknowledged that many more deserving organisations and media platforms across the country exist beyond the honourees, describing the gesture as ‘the beginning of a tradition, not a closed chapter,’ and assuring that subsequent editions of the ceremony will continue to identify and honour more individuals and organisations doing similar work.

‘The fight against drug trafficking and substance abuse was never going to be won by enforcement alone. It is won in the communities where NGOs quietly walk young people back from the edge of addiction. It is won in the newsrooms where journalists chose to tell the difficult stories, the stories of trafficking routes, of rehabilitation, of families rebuilding, even when those stories were not the easiest to tell. Our partners in civil society and the media have been the multiplier effect on everything this Agency does. You have taken our message into homes, schools, and communities that our uniforms alone could never reach.’

Marwa highlighted some recent major operations that he said captured the character of the Agency: the dismantling of the Amadi Simon drug cartel; the takedown of two Nigerian-Mexican methamphetamine cartels operating in forests in Ogun and Oyo States; and the disruption of a tramadol cartel exploiting the Togo-Benin Republic-Nigeria corridor, which he described as a route that had for years fuelled a crisis of opioid abuse among Nigerian youth.

‘These were not simple raids. They were the product of patient intelligence-gathering, cross-border cooperation, and officers willing to go where criminals believed no one would follow,’ he noted.

The NDLEA boss charged officers of the Agency to see the honourees as a benchmark to aspire to rather than a ceiling to stop at, and urged partners in civil society and the media to view the recognition as an invitation to do more, not a reward to rest on.

He congratulated all recipients of awards and commendations, and thanked their families as well as Nigerians who continue to place their trust in the Agency.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has ordered the immediate closure of the secretariat of the dissolved Ad-hoc Committee on Sales of Federal Government Houses (SFGH) in the territory.

Wike also approved the creation of a dedicated division within the Department of Land Administration to take over the committee’s former duties, according to a statement issued yesterday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka.

The committee had completed its mandate, but its secretariat was retained temporarily to handle outstanding issues before Wike ordered its closure.

Members of the public seeking information on the sale of Federal Government houses in the FCT have been directed to the Department of Land Administration. The FCT Administration warned that neither the committee nor its secretariat existed any longer, cautioning the public against individuals who might pose as former officials or staff to perpetrate fraud.

‘The general public is hereby enjoined to henceforth approach the Department of Land Administration on all issues relating to sale of Federal Government Houses in the FCT,’ the statement said, adding that the directive was with immediate effect.

The House of Representatives candidate, Francis Eniade, has alleged that he and his aides were attacked by suspected thugs at a police station in Okuku, headquarters of Odo-Otin Local Government Area of Osun State, on Wednesday night.

The Nation learnt that Eniade’s convoy was reportedly waylaid by suspected thugs while returning from Inisa, forcing him to seek refuge at the Okuku Divisional Police Station.

However, two of his aides were allegedly attacked at the station, while Eniade narrowly escaped. Two vehicles in his convoy were reportedly left at the police station.

Reacting to the incident, Eniade alleged that the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, was behind the attack.

Speaking with newsmen, Eniade said his convoy was attacked while returning from Inisa by suspected thugs and security personnel allegedly attached to Egbedun.

‘My convoy was waylaid while returning from Inisa by suspected thugs and security personnel attached to Hon. Egbedun, who were travelling in a Lexus Jeep,’ he alleged.

‘I sensed the danger, I directed my driver to increase his speed and head to the Okuku Divisional Police Station for safety.

‘But Egbedun’s security details and suspected thugs invaded the police station, where I was. I escaped narrowly, but my driver was wounded while Hilux and other vehicles were damaged.’

Eniade called for an investigation into the incident and demanded the arrest of everyone allegedly involved.

The Speaker, however, denied the allegation through his Chief Press Secretary, Olamide Tiamiyu.

Tiamiyu alleged that Eniade had earlier threatened residents of Egbedun’s constituency and attempted to attack the Chairman of Odo-Otin Local Government Area, Adewale Adeyinka, with men allegedly dressed as police officers.

He said residents resisted the alleged attack, forcing Eniade and his entourage to flee.

‘Eniade, who had earlier threatened the people of my constituency, wanted to attack the council chairman of Odo-Otin, Adewale Adeyinka, with fake policemen when residents stood against him in town,’ Tiamiyu said.

‘They were chased and, for fear of the mob, they tried to escape, but two of the fake policemen were eventually arrested with guns and taken to the DSS Command in Osogbo.’

Adeyinka, the council chairman, also gave his account of the incident, saying he encountered Eniade’s convoy while returning from a stakeholders’ meeting in Osogbo.

‘I was on my way home from a stakeholders’ meeting in Osogbo when, upon getting to Inisa, I noticed a three-vehicle convoy belonging to Francis Eniade. The convoy consisted of his personal vehicle, a Hilux truck and a van,’ he said.

Adeyinka said he immediately attempted to contact the Divisional Police Officer of the Okuku Division to alert him to what he considered a threat to his life, but the DPO did not answer his calls.

He said he subsequently contacted the Speaker, who advised him to return to the police station and seek protection.

‘We turned back and headed towards the police station. When we arrived, the gate was still locked but later an officer rushed to open the gate for us and we drove in. The vehicle belonging to Eniade followed and drove in behind us, while the van carrying the suspected thugs and persons dressed in fake security uniforms remained at some distance,’ Adeyinka said.

According to him, the occupants of the van fled after hearing the siren of the Speaker’s convoy, prompting members of the public who witnessed the incident to pursue them.

‘However, immediately the occupants of the van heard the siren of the convoy conveying the Honourable Speaker, without even knowing who they fled the scene. Members of the public who had witnessed the chase and understood the danger involved then pursued them,’ he said.

Adeyinka said two of the fleeing suspects were subsequently apprehended by members of the public, while a firearm was recovered from them.

He added that security personnel attached to the Speaker’s convoy took the suspects from the crowd when the Speaker arrived to prevent possible mob action.

The Federal Government has graduated the first batch of agricultural mechanisation service providers under a nationwide programme aimed at building a pool of skilled tractor operators and mechanics to support Nigeria’s drive towards increased food production.

The 10-day National Agricultural Mechanisation Service Providers (NAMSP) Training Programme, organised by the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, AGCOMS and other public and private-sector partners, brought together about 250 participants from across the country.

The initiative is expected to ultimately train 4,000 tractor operators and mechanics in machinery operation, maintenance, occupational safety, enterprise development and sustainable mechanisation service delivery.

Speaking at the closing ceremony in Gora, Nasarawa State, on Thursday, the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of NADF, Mohammed Ibrahim, said the initiative was designed to address one of the major challenges confronting agricultural mechanisation in Nigeria, the shortage of skilled personnel capable of operating and maintaining farm machinery.

Ibrahim, who was represented by the Fund’s General Manager, Technical, Ernest Ihedigbo, said increasing the number of tractors and other agricultural equipment would have limited impact without developing the technical expertise and maintenance culture required to keep the machines productive.

He said the graduation represented an important milestone in the Federal Government’s efforts to modernise agriculture through mechanisation, innovation and human capital development.

He noted that the programme goes beyond training machinery operators, as it seeks to develop the skills, systems and professional culture required to sustain agricultural productivity and strengthen food and nutrition security.

He said participants drawn from the six geopolitical zones received intensive training in agricultural mechanisation service delivery, machinery and equipment management, occupational safety, enterprise development, sustainable maintenance and environmental conservation.

‘Beyond technical skills, the programme has strengthened professionalism, enterprise mindset and operational discipline required to sustain an efficient mechanisation ecosystem,’ Ibrahim said.

He explained that the pilot cohort comprised about 232 trainees, who would be certified by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and subsequently considered for inclusion in a national database of proficient mechanisation service providers being developed by NADF.

The database, he said, would provide a pool of trained professionals that could support public and private investments in agricultural machinery, with certified operators potentially entrusted with agricultural assets worth millions of naira.

Ibrahim stressed that the success of agricultural mechanisation should not be judged merely by the number of tractors and machines procured but by how effectively such equipment is operated, maintained and kept economically viable.

He noted that previous investments in mechanisation had sometimes failed to achieve their full potential because of inadequate technical capacity, weak maintenance systems and poor accountability.

‘The future of agricultural mechanisation in Nigeria depends not only on acquiring machines, but on sustaining them through technical competence, accountability, and responsible asset and environmental stewardship,’ he said.

The NADF boss commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for placing agriculture at the centre of the administration’s food security, economic diversification, employment and national prosperity agenda.

He also praised the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, for driving reforms and partnerships targeted at strengthening agricultural value chains and improving farmers’ livelihoods.

Ibrahim said the NAMSP programme formed part of NADF’s wider interventions to tackle constraints across agricultural value chains.

He said the Fund’s Farm Input Support Programme was supporting about 109,000 smallholder farmers, while its Grassroots Digital Extension Corps initiative had trained 1,884 extension agents and food security specialists across the country.

He added that NADF was strengthening agricultural research institutions through investments in modern laboratories, biotechnology facilities, digital extension infrastructure, renewable energy systems, irrigation facilities and innovation platforms.

Ibrahim urged mechanisation associations and State Agricultural Development Projects to increase the recruitment and training of young people and women, particularly as rural-urban migration and an ageing farming population continue to affect the agricultural sector.

He described the graduates as a new generation of skilled mechanisation practitioners who could improve machinery utilisation, reduce equipment downtime, expand farmers’ access to mechanisation services and safeguard investments in agricultural assets.

‘Let your work increase productivity, expand access to mechanisation, preserve national investments, and accelerate Nigeria’s agricultural prosperity,’ he told the graduates.

Tractor owners seek sustained training

National President of the Tractor Owners and Hiring Facilities Association of Nigeria (TOHFAN), Abdullahi Mohammed, commended NADF for bringing participants from different parts of the country together for the programme.

Mohammed said continuous capacity building for tractor operators, mechanics and service providers was necessary to ensure that agricultural machinery remained productive throughout its lifespan.

He explained that although machinery manufacturers and vendors often provide initial training, they may not always be available in communities where tractors and other equipment are eventually deployed.

‘We need much of this training. The service provider wants training, the operator and the mechanic also need this type of training,’ he said.

He called for sustained collaboration among NADF, machinery manufacturers, vendors and mechanisation service providers, while appealing for government interventions that would make agricultural machinery more affordable.

Mohammed said the programme had also provided an opportunity to bring tractor operators from different associations and parts of the country under a common platform.

Director of Training at the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Hayatu Tambuwal, said the agency was satisfied with the outcome of the programme after monitoring the exercise from commencement to completion.

Tambuwal said ITF’s responsibility was to evaluate the training and provide certification, adding that officials observed positive attitudes among participants and evidence that the required learning had taken place.

He urged NADF to sustain its partnership with the ITF and expand the programme to other parts of the country, noting that adequate funding and resources would be required to achieve the desired scale.

Speaking on behalf of Women in Mechanised Agriculture (WIMA), one of the beneficiaries, Akuhwa Sewuese Michelle, said the training equipped participants with practical skills in tractor operation, safety, maintenance, servicing, basic troubleshooting and the use of agricultural implements.

Michelle said the programme had increased the confidence of participating women and demonstrated that they could play significant roles in Nigeria’s mechanisation industry.

‘We are not only here to learn; we are here to take these skills back to our communities and contribute to increased agricultural productivity, food security, employment and economic empowerment,’ she said.

She pledged that WIMA members would continue to improve their skills, comply with safety standards, properly maintain equipment entrusted to them and transfer their knowledge to other women and young people seeking opportunities in agricultural mechanisation.