Governor AbdulRazaq Commends Agric Researchers On Mechanisation

Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, says his administration is implementing policies and programmes aimed at empowering youth, researchers, and agripreneurs to add value, access markets, and deepen food security.

The governor disclosed that over 10,000 farmers in the state have so far benefited from the distribution of tractors, ploughs, processors, and other farm implements.

He stated this at the 25th International Conference and 45th Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineers (NIAE) and the maiden National Agricultural Machinery Exhibition, held at the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation (NCAM) in Idofian, Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state.

The event featured a keynote address by Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, and was attended by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, as well as engineers and dignitaries from across the country.

Governor AbdulRazaq commended the NIAE for its leading role in promoting mechanisation and for laying a strong foundation for Nigeria’s agricultural transformation over the decades.

He noted that the NIAE has advanced mechanisation through research and locally designed machines that reduce costs, boost yields, and minimise post-harvest losses for farmers across Nigeria and beyond. He described NCAM, domiciled in Kwara, as a national powerhouse in machinery development.

The governor added that agriculture in Kwara has largely transitioned from subsistence to full mechanisation, with the support of institutions like NIAE and NCAM.

He expressed optimism that the conference would provide a platform to exchange ideas and proffer solutions to emerging challenges such as climate change, technological advancement, debates around genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and issues of land use among diverse economic groups.

Governor AbdulRazaq thanked the NIAE and NCAM for hosting the event in Kwara, describing it as a reaffirmation of their shared commitment to innovation and food security.