Prof. Mohammed Haruna, Executive Vice Chairman of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), says the establishment of the Agricultural Machinery and Equipment Development Institute (AMEDI) by the Muhammadu Buhari administration was to boost the country’s food and agricultural production.
He stated that the concept of AMEDI Lafia was designed to help the presidential efforts to achieve food and nutritional security in Nigeria and for Nigerians.
Haruna stated that the institute was established in accordance with the president’s mandate to construct six new agricultural-technology-based institutes, one for each geopolitical zone of Nigeria, by 2021.
“AMEDI Lafia is the first to be completed among the six equals across the geo-political zones of the country.
“The peculiarity of our soil with its inherent edaphic factors and peculiar topography requires the production of Made in Nigeria agricultural implements, machinery, and equipment that can support responsible and productive agricultural practices in the face of climate change.
“We are conversant with the Sustainable Development Goals and our national expectations to end hunger and create decent, inclusive jobs for our youth and women,” he said.
According to him, NASENI had resolved to use the platforms of AMEDIs to modernise agribusiness in Nigeria and ensure sustainable scaling of agro-enterprises for new jobs and wealth creation.
“As a modular agricultural institute, AMEDI Lafia and others, when completed, have a template to advance the injection of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) in the agricultural space across the country.
“The in-built capabilities of the institutes will ensure the use of additive and SMART manufacturing platforms already acquired by NASENI system-wide to design, develop, assemble, and produce agricultural and food processing implements for various classes of farmers.
“The main workshop in the institute shall become a model of SMART factory that will leverage cutting-edge technologies to deliver Made in Nigeria products and market demand-driven services that are suitable for both our farmers and arable lands.
“The crop-livestock integration farming model that will be used in the institute’s experimental farm will be critical for training farmers and agro-entrepreneurs on sustainable farming methods that use land resource optimization models,” he said.
The president inaugurated the project during his visit to Lafia on Saturday.
NAN
