As Nigeria celebrates her 64th Independence anniversary, the Greener Hope Large Scale Mechanisation Agriculture Productivity Programme (GHAPP), a groundbreaking initiative aimed at a quantum leap for the Nigerian agricultural sector is fast emerging as a critical force in addressing the nation’s food security challenges. GHAPP is a joint initiative of the Federal Government with the Ministries of Agriculture and Food Security, Water Resources and Sanitation, and Origin Tech Group. This transformative programme is set to substantially revolutionize Nigeria’s agriculture by providing sustainable access to modern farm machinery and implement, eliminating drudgery, managing post-harvest losses, and significantly boosting crop yields across the country.
Origin Tech Group, an agricultural value-chain conglomerate is extremely pleased to be working with the Federal Government to birth this innovative programme with critical structures and promises to place Nigeria on a higher pedestal to impact every aspect of farming both in the commercial segment and smallholder enterprises; raising and promoting the new agricultural ecosystem in her quest for food security, wealth creation, job opportunities and help spur economic growth.
While in GHAPP, there is a desire to bridge the gaps and fill various white spaces prevalent in the agribusiness space, the programme represents a bold move by the Government which for the first time, attempts to adopt a private sector driven-approach to manage a huge public sector challenge with strong desire and commitment to elevate farmers’ incomes and help curb unhealthy rural-urban migration through the provision of agricultural infrastructure in the hinterlands, the sprawl of suburbia turning into viable crop centres, rural and semi-urban areas into agricultural food hubs for local consumption and most importantly for export.
Other benefits of GHAPP include the supply of high-yield seeds, extension services, and storage facilities. It is a new dawn for Nigerian agricultural productivity and the programme is presently filling these voids and meeting the needs of the promises to be a quantum leap for the Nigerian agricultural ecosystem players to sow seeds of prosperity and put an end to the perennial neglect of farming and farmers. We need to feed the nation’s teeming population; we need to make food available in Nigeria and elsewhere. As the nation grows in population, the development in agriculture and agribusiness must keep pace and outplace the high population growth rate to guarantee adequate nourishment and well-being of the people.
It is expected that through the establishment of Agro-mechanisation centres nationwide, GHAPP will equip farmers with the tools and technologies that they need to enhance productivity. This initiative aligns very well with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s emergency intervention towards food security and is a cornerstone in strengthening Nigeria’s agricultural resilience.
Another key component of the programme is the training of youth farmers. The Greener Hope programme plans to engage 50,000 youth farmers by offering comprehensive training on modern agriculture practices, equipping their operations with appropriate tools, techniques, and the know-how to manage large-scale commercial farm equipment, funding, maintenance, and other related critical supports that will invariably unlock their potentials and thereby create the Greener Hope Agro-preneurs. It is vital that this demography be attracted to agriculture for sustainable food production and prosperity, especially for all.
The initiative also includes the establishment of a digital gateway for tractor-hailing services and massive provision of Agro jobs. The Greener Hope programme is designed to be replicable and sustainable. With large-scale farms serving as models, the programme will extend its reach to smaller farms, and in the process help to provide technical support and other resources placed at their disposal for optimum output.
The programme’s central goal is to increase food production by over 2 million metric tonnes, focusing on the creation of large-scale commercial farming hubs. These hubs will maximize land use, drive efficiency, and raise the contribution of agriculture to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). With backing from a global consortium, GHAPP represents a fusion of local and international efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s food systems.
Origin Tech Group, known for its innovative and technological leadership in agriculture and industrial development, is driving GHAPP’s implementation with the Federal Government and its partners. Projects are already underway in Lagos, Niger, and Kogi states, and more states are expected to be enlisted as implementation progresses. These efforts will no doubt bring Nigeria closer to achieving self-sufficiency in food production.
In the words of Dr. Musa Olasupo, Director of Programmes, at the Greener Hope Initiative, opined that: “Nigeria’s food security is at a tipping point, strained by factors such as unending insecurity, climate change, and smuggling. The Greener Hope Agriculture Productivity Programme provides the much-needed infrastructure for farmers to enhance their yields and contribute to a sustainable food supply.”
He further added, “This programme is more than an agricultural intervention; it’s an investment in Nigeria’s future. And by collaborating with the Federal, State, and Local Governments, as well as the private sector, we are laying the groundwork for job creation, community development, and the establishment of a resilient, self-reliant nation.”
As we celebrate our nation’s 64th Independence today, let us all take a moment to reflect on how far we’ve come as a people and the role each of us can play as we lock hands to sow seeds of prosperity in securing a greener and more sustainable Nigeria. By working together and staying true to our shared vision of renewed hope, we can create a future that honors the past while paving the way for generations of bountiful harvests.
From all of us at Greener Hope Large Scale and Mechanisation Programme, Happy Independence Day, Nigeria! Together, let’s grow, thrive, and build a greener tomorrow.
To learn more about the GHAPP, please visit www.greenerhopeng.com