The Kwara State Government has intensified efforts to strengthen mechanised agriculture, climate resilience and women participation in farming through renewed collaboration with the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) and other agricultural stakeholders.
The commitment was reaffirmed during a meeting between the leadership of the Kwara State chapter of AFAN and officials of the Kwara State Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (KWACReSAL) in Ilorin.
Speaking during the engagement, the State Project Coordinator of KWACReSAL, Shamsideen Aregbe, said the state government remained committed to improving food production through increased access to mechanised farming equipment and climate-smart agricultural practices.
Aregbe described tractorisation as a major pillar of modern agriculture, stressing that access to farming machinery was essential to boosting productivity and tackling food security challenges across the state.
He explained that the tractor support initiative introduced last year was part of a World Bank-backed intervention and presidential directive aimed at supporting farmers with mechanised farming tools.
According to him, efforts were ongoing to assess the operational status of some tractors following concerns raised by stakeholders over technical and operational challenges affecting the equipment.
He also emphasised the importance of sustained engagement with farming communities, particularly in addressing flooding, agricultural logistics and food security concerns.
Aregbe further stressed the need for inclusive agricultural policies, insisting that women must be given greater opportunities to participate in farming programmes and leadership processes.
“The inclusion of women is not negotiable. We must continue to encourage and support women to actively participate in agricultural programmes and leadership processes,” he said.
Earlier, the Chairman of AFAN in Kwara State, Shuaib Ajibola, commended KWACReSAL for its interventions in the agricultural sector and reaffirmed the association’s readiness to partner with the agency on programmes targeted at improving farmers’ welfare and environmental sustainability.
Ajibola disclosed that AFAN planned to commence an agricultural expo and stakeholder engagement programme across the state as part of efforts to reconnect with farmers and strengthen agricultural outreach.
He noted that previous intervention programmes had covered all 16 local government areas of the state and involved stakeholders from various agricultural value chains.
The AFAN chairman also raised concerns over land disputes and other agrarian conflicts affecting farming communities, warning that the situation had created uncertainty among farmers over land ownership and usage rights.
He called for sustained dialogue among stakeholders to resolve disputes and ensure peaceful farming activities across communities.
Also speaking, the Project Coordinator of AFAM, AbdulRahman Babatunde, applauded KWACReSAL for supporting farmers with agricultural inputs and mechanised farming services.
He revealed that the project provided full agricultural input support to participating farmers last year, adding that beneficiaries across different communities had continued to testify to the positive impact of the intervention.
Babatunde disclosed that preparations for the current planting season were already underway, with farmers actively registering, hiring tractors and clearing farmlands.
In her remarks, the AFAM Women Leader, Sherifat Ibrahim, advocated increased empowerment and technical training for women in rural communities to enable them to participate effectively in mechanised farming activities.
She called for gender-friendly operational systems and practical training programmes that would make tractor handling more accessible to women and young people interested in agriculture.
The Environmental Safeguards Officer of KWACReSAL, Abubakar Mohammed, also reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to gender equality, women inclusion and effective grievance management across all project activities.
The renewed collaboration comes amid ongoing efforts by the Kwara State Government to strengthen food production and promote climate-smart agriculture through partnerships with farmer associations, development agencies and international organisations.
