Amina Mansur
Vice President Kashim Shettima has flagged off an empowerment scheme to assist farmers in the country to support the food security and agriculture mechanisation drive of the President Bola Tinubu government.
The scheme, Kashim Shettima Foundation’s Agricultural Empowerment Programme, launched in Kaduna State, heralds the commencement of distribution of tractors, seeds, fertilizers, herbicides, and other essential farming inputs to beneficiary farmers for the 2024 farming season.
Shettima described farmers in the country as “the underappreciated heroes who till the soil, sow the seeds, and nourish our nation, to whom we owe a mountain of appreciation for putting the county first, come rain or shine,” noting that it is their unwavering commitment that sustains the country.
Speaking during the launch of the empowerment programme in Kaduna, the Vice President said the gesture is in honour of the nation’s resilient farmers, assuring that the Tinubu administration will take action to unlock the nation’s agricultural potential and provide essential support to farmers.
He emphasised the crucial role of agriculture in Nigeria’s economy, highlighting its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and its significance as the primary employer for millions of citizens.
According to him: “Agriculture has always been a strong pillar of Nigeria’s economy, contributing one out of every five US Dollars to our GDP and providing livelihoods and sustenance for 36% of the labour force”.
On his part, Malam Murtala Dabo, Kaduna State Commissioner for Agriculture, said the scheme is a beacon of hope for the youths, a catalyst for economic growth, and part of a solution to the multifaceted challenges facing the agricultural sector.
Also, Chairman of Kashim Shettima Foundation, Baba Kachallah explained that the initiative would take off with the provision of 10 tractors, adding that 50 farmers per state would be trained to become full-fledged agropreneurs and that they will be provided with land, fertilizer, sprayers, planters, pesticides, herbicides, seeds and working capital ahead of the beginning of the rainy season.