First Lady Tinubu flags off 2026 farming season in Niger

Tinubu commended the Niger State government, stating that the initiative aligns seamlessly with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency on food security and the broader Renewed Hope Agenda.

"With the direct support to farmers through the release of fertilisers and other agricultural inputs, this initiative by the Niger State Government aligns with the vision of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President on boosting agriculture for food self-sufficiency.

"I want to especially commend our farmers,  the men, women, and youth who rise before dawn and labour tirelessly on the land, so that millions of families can have food on their tables. You are the backbone of our nation’s survival, and the reason for today’s support is to ensure that your efforts do not go unrecognised. I urge all beneficiaries here today to make the best use of these tools and fertilisers provided", she stated.

To drive this agricultural transformation, the Niger State Government unveiled a massive agricultural intervention by presenting farming implements which include 250 units of 75Hp tractors, 50 combined multi-crop harvesters, 1,500 farming implements such as planters and boom sprayers, and 150,000 bags of fertilisers.

Niger state Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, stated that the state is not only formally opening the farming season but is delivering tools that will change the lives of citizens and improve the entire agriculture chain beyond the state, noting that agriculture remains a top priority for his administration, stressing his passion for making Niger State a major source of food for the nation.

Detailing the distribution framework, Governor Bago explained that 10 tractors will be allocated per local government to bring much-needed mechanisation to the grassroots across the 25 Local Government Areas, adding that the provision of 50 combined harvesters is strategically designed to cut harvest time and reduce post-harvest losses, which typically range between 40 and 90 per cent depending on the crop.

The Governor projected that these investments will directly support farming activities on 120,000 hectares of land across the state, revealing that the mechanisation drive will create about 2,000 direct jobs and roughly 100,000 indirect jobs, yielding an estimated 500,000 tons of assorted food products per season for both wet and dry season farming.

To protect farmers from post-harvest market gluts, Bago assured that the state government is already working out modalities for the massive off-take of surplus outputs by farmers, calling on farmers and stakeholders to work closely with the Niger Food Security and Logistics Limited, a state-owned enterprise, to ensure seamless operations.

Looking toward year-round food production, Bago announced plans to embark on the expansion of the state's irrigation facilities, stating that the government will complete a 10,000-hectare solar-powered irrigation system to enable multiple cycles of production within a single year.

The state Commissioner of Agriculture, Isah Sidi Rijau, echoed these sentiments, noting that the distribution represents a clear demonstration of the state's unwavering commitment to agricultural transformation.

He described the agenda as a necessary paradigm shift from mere lip service to actionable plans designed to reposition agriculture as the backbone of the state's economy and ensure food security.

The Minister of State Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabu Abdullahi, said that the event is a process of making Nigeria great, adding that Niger state is providing leadership in showing how the nation can increase agricultural productivity so that farmers can produce within the context of the President's Renewed Hope Agenda.