The Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) has called for a sustainable, commercially viable model for managing Agricultural Mechanization Centres (AMCs) in Kano State, warning that decades of poorly structured tractor procurement programmes have failed Nigerian farmers.
In a statement signed by its Communication Officer, Moses Nongoatse, the association said the absence of a clear, evidence-based policy and operational framework for establishing and managing AMCs has undermined Nigeria’s mechanization drive for years.
According to the statement, successive large-scale tractor procurement interventions by federal and state governments collapsed due to weak deployment strategies, poor maintenance culture, lack of cost-recovery systems, and political interference.
“As a result, thousands of machines nationwide have fallen into disrepair, while farmers continue to grapple with high production costs, delayed farm operations, low productivity, and persistent drudgery.”
To address these challenges, SAA, as technical partner to the recently concluded Kano State Agropastoral Development Project (KSADP), convened an Agricultural Mechanization Summit themed “Learning from Experience to Build Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization Centres in Kano State.” The summit was held on February 13, 2026, in Kano.
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According to the statement, the forum brought together stakeholders from the Kano State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, KSADP leadership, the Kano State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (KNARDA), academic institutions, mechanization service providers, development partners, and farmer organizations.
SAA explained that the summit was convened to deliberate on the future management of three Agricultural Mechanization Centres established across the Central, North, and South agricultural zones of Kano State with funding support from KSADP.
The statement noted that Nigeria’s mechanization level remains critically low, with less than 0.3 horsepower per hectare, far below the Food and Agriculture Organization’s recommended benchmark of 1.5 horsepower per hectare.
In Kano State, where millions of smallholder farmers produce cereals, legumes, and horticultural crops, limited access to structured mechanization continues to delay planting and harvesting while increasing post-harvest losses.
SAA stated that its involvement in Kano since 2021 under the KSADP crop value chain intervention revealed the urgent need for reliable and affordable mechanization services, leading to the establishment of the three AMCs as pilot platforms for a sustainable service-delivery model.
The statement added that participants at the summit reviewed past interventions and identified the lack of standardized operational models and policy guidance as major causes of failure.
“They agreed that fully government-owned and operated centres often struggle due to weak governance, unclear accountability structures, revenue leakages, and poor maintenance.” It noted.
The summit resolved that AMCs must function as professionally managed service enterprises rather than politically driven assets. Stakeholders endorsed a private sector-led or Public–Private Partnership (PPP) framework, with government providing policy oversight and an enabling environment.
The proposed model includes strong governance systems, transparent cost-recovery mechanisms, preventive maintenance planning, asset replacement strategies, and digital payment systems to enhance accountability.
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The summit also recommended a structured, time-bound subsidy framework ranging between 10 and 20 percent of prevailing market rates during the early years of operation, particularly to support women, youth, and farmer cooperatives.
Speaking at the event, SAA Country Director, Dr. Godwin Atser, emphasized that effective mechanization goes beyond equipment procurement.
“Procurement is not impact. Impact comes from how machinery is managed, maintained, and deployed to serve farmers efficiently and affordably over time,” he stated.
Representing the Kano State Government, KNARDA Managing Director, Dr. Farouk Kurawa, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to mechanization as a driver of agricultural transformation, noting that improved productivity and reduced drudgery are central to the state’s agricultural agenda.
Under the agreed framework, SAA will remain technical partner to the centres, supporting capacity building, performance monitoring, and systems strengthening. Managed Service Providers will be competitively selected to oversee day-to-day operations, provide capital investment, and submit periodic operational and financial reports.
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SAA stated that beyond Kano, the summit contributes to Nigeria’s growing body of knowledge on agricultural mechanization by documenting lessons and defining a replicable AMC model capable of informing future policy and investment decisions nationwide.
The statement concluded that SAA has been mandated to finalize the AMC operational model and develop a detailed implementation roadmap in collaboration with the Kano State Government and relevant partners.
It reaffirmed the association’s commitment to advancing a sustainable, inclusive, and performance-driven mechanization system capable of delivering lasting benefits to farmers in Kano State and supporting Nigeria’s broader agricultural transformation agenda.