From Atiku Sarki, Abuja
The Federal Government has opened talks with Springfield Agro Limited to explore structured, long-term financing options for Nigeria’s mechanization programmes.
In a statement issued to The Triumph in Abuja, Ezeaja Ikemefuna, Head of the Department of Information in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, said the initiative is aimed at equipping all 774 local government areas with tractors and easing upfront costs for farmers, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the agricultural sector.
Speaking at the commissioning of the Afcott Grains Sesame and Grains Processing Facility in Kawakin Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State, Vice President Kashim Shettima, represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, stated that the nation’s quest for sustainable food security cannot be achieved “without building strong and integrated industrial capacity across the entire agricultural value chain.”
“Production must be matched with processing. Mechanization must be matched with financing. Policy must be matched with private-sector confidence and long-term investment,” he stressed.
“I bring you warm greetings and the firm commitment of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, whose administration has placed food security at the very centre of Nigeria’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” Shettima added.
The Vice President described the commissioning of the Afcott Grains facility as “not merely the inauguration of an industrial plant, but a clear statement of the present administration’s resolve toward food sufficiency, value addition, and agro-industrial transformation.”
He noted that the siting of the facility in Kano is strategic due to the state’s historic role as a commercial and agricultural hub.
“The establishment of this sesame and grains processing facility here in Kano strengthens our domestic value chain, enhances export competitiveness, increases farmers’ incomes, and generates meaningful employment opportunities,” he said.
Shettima commended Afcott Grains and its parent company, the Kewalram Chanrai Group, for their enduring commitment to Nigeria, noting that the group has consistently demonstrated long-term confidence in the country’s growth trajectory.
He also highlighted that the investment builds on a major milestone achieved last year, the commissioning of the Springfield Agro Crop Protection Chemical Plant, which has since produced over 15 million litres of crop protection solutions, strengthening Nigeria’s self-reliance in agro-input supply and reducing dependence on imports.
“Taken together, these investments represent a deliberate industrial strategy reinforcing our agricultural ecosystem,” he said.
According to him, agricultural transformation rests on three critical pillars: inputs, mechanization, and processing.
“While the Springfield Agro facility strengthens input availability, and Afcott Grains expands value addition and processing capacity, mechanization remains essential to scaling productivity nationwide,” he emphasized.
Shettima further noted that Springfield Agro has, over the past two decades, sustained a Mahindra Tractor Assembly Plant in Nigeria, playing a pioneering role in advancing the nation’s mechanization agenda.
“This initiative goes beyond equipment supply; it represents technology transfer, local manufacturing, job creation, and the long-term development of a sustainable mechanization ecosystem,” he said.
He disclosed that following the submission of a proposal for structured, long-term financing to support mechanization programmes at both federal and state levels, the Presidency is currently engaging in constructive dialogue with the company.
He added that the engagement signals a clear pathway toward aligning policy with credible industrial and financing initiatives critical to achieving national agricultural goals.
Shettima further revealed that under the Green Imperative Programme, the Federal Government has commenced structured mechanization support across the 774 local government areas of the country.
He said the commissioning aligns with the national agenda of expanding domestic production, promoting local manufacturing and agro-industrialization, scaling mechanized agriculture, creating jobs across the value chain, strengthening export capacity, and driving Nigeria toward food sufficiency.
He commended the Kano State Government for providing an enabling environment that continues to attract investment, where public leadership and private enterprise work in synergy.
The Vice President also lauded the management and board of Afcott Grains and the Kewalram Chanrai Group, stating that their continued investments demonstrate that Nigeria is not merely a market but a long-term partner in shared prosperity and industrial growth.
He pledged that the administration would maintain an open-door policy for credible investors committed to transforming Nigeria’s agricultural landscape.
“Together, we will move from potential to productivity, from subsistence to surplus, and from import dependence to industrial strength,” he affirmed.
In his remarks, the Governor of Kano State, Abba Kabir Yusuf, represented by his Chief of Staff, Dr. Suleiman Wali, said the investment reinforces Kano’s position as a leading agricultural and commercial hub in Nigeria and West Africa.
He added that Kano remains one of the most strategic and rewarding investment destinations in the country, with vast agricultural potential and a conducive business environment.
He revealed that the state government has invested heavily in agricultural mechanization, extension services, and irrigation infrastructure to support farmers and attract investors.
In his welcome address, Vice Chairman of the Kewalram Chanrai Group, Mr. Navin Chanrai, said the facility is designed to process 40,000 tonnes of sesame seeds and 25,000 tonnes of other grains annually.
He noted that the project, completed within 12 months, will create over 500 direct and indirect jobs, with at least 70 per cent of the workforce drawn from Kano State.
Chanrai added that the investment is part of the group’s strategy to enhance value addition, boost exports, and support Nigerian farmers.
