The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority, Adedeji Ashiru, has disclosed that the Federal Government plans to provide no fewer than 60 additional tractors for farmers in the South-West by 2026 to boost food production through agricultural mechanisation.
Ashiru said the initiative reflects the commitment of Bola Tinubu to strengthening food security and supporting farmers with modern equipment to enhance productivity.
He spoke on Thursday during the flag-off of the 2025/2026 dry season farming programme and the deployment of 16 tractors across 11 farm settlements in four South-West states — Ogun State, Oyo State, Osun State and Lagos State. The event was held at the authority’s headquarters in Abeokuta.
According to him, the President recognises the importance of mechanised farming in increasing food production, reducing post-harvest losses, creating wealth for farmers and lowering the rising cost of food items.
He explained that farm settlements under the authority have long served as centres of smallholder agriculture, hosting thousands of farming families who depend on the land for their livelihoods and on the authority for infrastructure, extension services and mechanisation support.
Ashiru said the first phase of the deployment involves 16 tractors and implements that will serve 11 farm settlements across the authority’s catchment areas, adding that an additional 60 tractors expected from the Federal Government in 2026 will further strengthen mechanised farming in the region.
Beneficiaries of the intervention include farm settlements in Sepeteri, Iseyin, Ofiki, Asa and Ogbomoso in Oyo State; Iwo and Oluku/Iba in Osun State; Igan Alade/Ijaka, Owiwi, Eyinwa in Odogbolu Local Government Area and Oke Odan in Ogun State; as well as Itokin in Lagos State.
He noted that limited access to mechanisation remains one of the major challenges confronting smallholder farmers across the country, explaining that tractors and modern farm implements would enable farmers to cultivate larger plots of land more efficiently and increase yields.
Ashiru added that the dry season farming campaign would focus on crops such as maize, vegetables, tomatoes, pepper and cassava to improve household nutrition and market supply.
READ ALSO:Â Oyo Empowers 140 Youths with Tractor Training for Mechanised Farming
He said extension officers would accompany the tractor deployment teams to provide agronomic support and guide farmers on improved seed varieties, fertiliser application and pest management.
To ensure proper use and maintenance of the equipment, Ashiru inaugurated a seven-member task force committee headed by the authority’s Head of Servicom, Taiwo Ajayi, to oversee the safety, maintenance and effective utilisation of the tractors.
He described irrigation-supported dry season farming as a strategic approach to addressing food insecurity, noting that it helps bridge the production gap created by reliance on seasonal rainfall.
Earlier, the Executive Director of Agricultural Services at the authority, Akeem Sulaiman, said the programme aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration aimed at boosting food production and improving farmers’ livelihoods.
Sulaiman explained that the initiative is part of efforts to support more than 40 farmer-based project sites with modern agricultural equipment and irrigation facilities to enable year-round crop production.
Also speaking, the representative of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria in Ogun State, Ademuyiwa Atanbi, commended the Federal Government and the authority for the intervention, noting that it would increase food production and improve farmers’ incomes.