Lagos Flags off Eko Agro Mechanisation Scheme

On Feb 25, 2023

The Lagos state government has flagged off the Eko Agro Mechanisation Scheme in a bid to enhance food production and security in the state.

The Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Abisola Olusanya, disclosed during the flag-off ceremony that the scheme would lead to increased food production, which will help lower prices and afford Lagosians a higher disposable income, and provision of a positive impact on the economic growth of the state by creating a means of livelihood for the unemployed.

According to her, the approach to farm mechanisation called Tracto-On-The-Go (TOG), was improved upon from the Tractor Hiring Unit (THU) and can be accessed through an application known as TOG world and is available for download on Google Playstore and IOS Store.

She noted that farmers can now request tractors and their accompanying implements from the comfort of their farms, in a manner similar to taxi hailing services via a smartphone.

“As such, they now have access to agricultural machineries without being physically present at the tractor centres, which makes the process both seamless and transparent.

“20 tractors, 12 ploughs, 10 harrows, seven tipping trailers, two boom sprayers and other equipment were procured to kick-start the scheme. These shall be stationed in the three strategic agrarian zones of the state, Badagry, Ikorodu and Epe and would serve different farming clusters.

According to Mrs. Olatokunbo Emokpae, permanent secretary of the ministry, the primary objective of the program, is to ensure unrestricted access to farm mechanization services, particularly for smallholder farmers, through a cost-friendly approach.

She pledged that the ministry would not give up in its efforts to use technology and mechanization to advance food security in order to realize the vision for a larger Lagos.