NASENI gets Presidential order: Mobilize refurbished tractors to farmers to boost food production

Per Second NewsDecember 31, 2020131

As a fillip to his administration’s promise to tame food inflation in 2021, President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday directed the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) to mobilize all refurbished tractors to farmers across the country.

Buhari said the directive became necessary to further boost agricultural production and revamp the sector.

Persecondnews had on Wednesday reported that stakeholders scored the administration’s policies low.

The Vice-Chairman of NASENI, Prof. Mohammed Haruna, had briefed Buhari on the activities of the agency at the State House, Abuja.

Haruna told State House correspondents

that a crucial modern agricultural equipment used for tilling the soil for large scale mechanized farming are tractors.

“Mr President as the Chairman, Governing Board of NASENI, l have come to brief him and update him on the activities of the agency – what we have achieved so far and what we need his intervention.

“We have successfully refurbished several of such tractors at our institute in Minna, Niger, through the partnership arrangements.

“The trio of Machine & Equipment Consortium Africa (MECA), the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agriculture Lending (NIRSAL) and NASENI are principal partners in the project,” he said.

According to him, the president had directed that the tractors be deployed to farmers before the next farming season to alleviate the suffering of farmers who use primitive tools.

” President Buhari expressed satisfaction with the activities of the agency most especially the efforts to fabricate agricultural tools and reverse-engineering of modern machines and equipment aimed at boosting agricultural activities.

“All what we need is support by every Nigerians and governments so we can continue to fulfil our mandate to the nation,’’ Haruna also said.

On the achievements of NASENI, he disclosed that the agency had produced first Made-in-Nigeria tricycle (KEKE NASENI), including passenger and cargo models, designed and produced first Made-in-Nigeria motorcycle, first Made-In-Nigeria Solar powered electronic voting device.

He said Innoson Nigeria Ltd had been commissioned to mass produce the tricycle in commercial quantities.

“NASENI is the Agency of government currently manufacturing locally Solar panels and other solar products and accessories in the whole of West Africa.

“NASENI has produced first made-in-Nigeria transformers which was designed and produced by Nigerian Engineers who were trained recently in China, all were engineers in NASENI.

“We have produced an un-mmaned Aerial vehicle (UAV), used for the purpose of Agriculture (spraying of insecticides on farms) and surveillance purpose and many more,” Haruna said.