The National Centre for Agricultural Mechanization (NCAM) has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting locally developed agricultural mechanization technologies to reduce drudgery and boost productivity among Nigerian farmers.
NCAM Executive Director, Abdulgafar Kamal, told reporters on Friday in Ilorin that the centre has, over the years, developed a wide range of mechanization solutions for small-, medium-, and large-scale farmers.
Kamal spoke on the sidelines of the 25th International Conference of the Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineers (NIAE) and the National Agricultural Machinery Exhibition.
He said the technologies span crop value chains, including processing, post-harvest activities, and renewable energy applications.
Kamal noted the need to transfer these technologies to end users, as many farmers remain unaware of available home-grown options.
“The mechanization space in Nigeria is dominated by imported agricultural machines which, besides being expensive, are often unsuitable for our crop types, soil conditions, and climate. This makes it imperative to encourage home-grown mechanization technologies,” he said.
He explained that the exhibition aims to assess and consolidate the technologies developed so far, with a view to upgrading them to acceptable standards.
Local fabricators, Kamal added, play a crucial role in commercializing research outputs.
“We develop prototypes for various machines across the crop value chain, but there must be an agricultural machinery industry to take up these technologies for commercialization and mass production. The exhibition ensures that research outcomes translate into commercial use and reach end users,” he said.
Kamal commended the Federal Government for establishing agricultural mechanization centres across the six geopolitical zones, saying the initiative would improve farmers’ access nationwide.
“Previously, having only Ilorin as the mechanization hub meant farmers had to travel long distances to access technologies. Establishing substations across the zones will make access easier,” he said.
He also disclosed that NCAM is collaborating with Tata Motors in Egypt to upgrade existing prototypes and reduce production costs when commercialized.
“Our collaboration will lead to the mass production of some of our technologies. With economies of scale, prices will drop significantly,” he said.
