Northern Nigeria’s farming renaissance hinges on green imperative, says leader
Mustapha Wali, veteran labour leader, has urged northern leaders, traditional institutions, cooperatives, and private investors to seize ownership of the Green Imperative Programme (GIP), calling it a “national lifeline” for the region’s agricultural transformation.
He stressed that the initiative’s success hinges on active regional involvement, stating that the Green Imperative is not just a federal government initiative but a national programme that requires regional participation.
“Northern state governments, traditional institutions, cooperatives, and private investors must now take ownership,” Wali said.
Launched in 2019 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, the GIP was envisioned as a ten-year mechanisation partnership between Nigeria and Brazil.
Its ambitious goal was to supply over 10,000 tractors, 50,000 implements, and establish 774 service centres nationwide to create millions of jobs and modernise rural economies. However, seven years in, the programme hasn’t met its full potential.
Wali attributed the significant setback to limited engagement from regional stakeholders, citing their failure to provide the required counterpart funding and institutional support.
“Mechanisation cannot be achieved through federal action alone. It requires collective ownership and sustained political will at every level,” he said.
He described the initial phase as a “missed opportunity” that could have drastically improved food production and employment, particularly in Northern Nigeria, which possesses over 70 percent of the country’s arable land.
Wali commended President Tinubu’s administration for its commitment to reviving and commercialising the programme in 2025, noting that renewed agreements with Brazil and technical partners signal a genuine political will.
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“The revival of the Green Imperative offers a second chance—especially for Northern Nigeria, where the youthful population and vast land mass make it the natural engine of the nation’s food security. Mechanisation is not a luxury; for Northern Nigeria, it is a necessity for survival and growth,” he explained.
To ensure the programme’s long-term sustainability, Wali urged northern state governments, private investors, and traditional institutions to immediately create Green Imperative Implementation Desks within their ministries of agriculture.
He also stressed the critical need for technical training, advocating for the upskilling of youths and women as tractor operators, mechanics, and service providers.
Furthermore, he appealed to the region’s polytechnics and universities to strengthen practical agricultural engineering and mechanisation programmes.
“The era of waiting for Abuja is over. Local leadership and regional coordination must drive agricultural transformation,” he noted.
Wali implored state governments to provide counterpart funding, allocate land for training and service centres, and set clear mechanisation targets within their annual budgets.
He also encouraged cooperatives and private companies to partner with federal agencies to run efficient tractor-hire and maintenance services, while urging NGOs and development partners to focus their efforts on youth and women empowerment clusters.
With seven of the ten years of the initial agreement already passed, Wali warned against misusing the opportunity calling for transparency, accountability, and local assembly of equipment. He also emphasised the immediate need for practical action: “The farmers need GIP to start.”
He reiterated the necessity for Brazilian technicians to be physically on the ground to begin training agribusiness personnel.
“The Green Imperative is not just a federal government project; it is a lifeline for the North. If properly embraced, it can ignite a Northern Agricultural Renaissance—one that feeds the nation, empowers the youth, and sustains livelihoods,” Wali stressed.
