The Yayi Tractor Users Association in Ogun State on Monday held its General Meeting and the inauguration of its new Executive Members to pilot the affairs of the association for the 2027 planting season.
The event which held at the June 12, Cultural Centre, Abeokuta brings together members of the Association, Local Tractor Management Teams, farmer leaders and stakeholders in agricultural mechanization to review the progress of the Yayi Tractor Empowerment Programme and strengthen the structures supporting its operations across Ogun State.
The programme, initiated by Distinguished Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, representing Ogun West Senatorial Constituency, was established to provide farmers with broader and more sustainable access to tractor services.
Since its commencement in April 2025, the programme has covered 5,823 hectares, reached 2,007 farmers and extended its operations to 731 farm clusters, farmer groups, associations and communities across the state.
Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Oluwayimika Angel Adelaja-Kuye in her speech said that the foundation of the programme was laid through a deliberate attempt by Distinguished Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, representing Ogun West Senatorial Constituency, to understand what farmers across Ogun State actually needed and what kind of intervention would make a meaningful difference to their livelihoods.
She maintained that Senator Yayi did not approach agricultural empowerment as a one-dimensional exercise, saying that he began putting together a broader package of economic and agricultural interventions that responded to different needs within the farming community.
According to her, the interventions by the Senator were designed not only to put equipment into the hands of farming communities, but also to provide the knowledge and resources necessary for farmers to use those interventions productively.
“It is a great privilege to stand before you today to present the progress, achievements and lessons from the Yayi Tractor Empowerment Programme, a programme that has demonstrated that agricultural empowerment can move beyond the traditional distribution of inputs and equipment to become a structured, accountable and sustainable intervention that continues to deliver value to farmers long after the initial presentation of an empowerment item.
“To properly understand the significance of this programme, it is important to begin with where the idea came from and, more importantly, why it was created in the first place. The Yayi Tractor Empowerment Programme did not begin with the decision to simply procure tractors and distribute them. Its foundation was laid much earlier, through a deliberate attempt by Distinguished Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, representing Ogun West Senatorial Constituency, to understand what farmers across Ogun State actually needed and what kind of intervention would make a meaningful difference to their livelihoods.
“Following the 2023 elections, there was a strategic engagement with farmers across Ogun State. That engagement provided an opportunity to hear directly from farmers, farmer leaders, associations and agricultural communities about the realities they faced in their day-to-day operations. One of the strongest issues that emerged from those engagements was mechanization. Farmers were not merely asking for support in the form of consumable inputs. They were confronted by a much more fundamental challenge: the ability to cultivate larger areas of land efficiently, reduce the physical burden of farming, improve timeliness of land preparation and ultimately increase productivity.
“For many smallholder farmers, the cost and availability of tractors represented a significant barrier to expansion. A farmer may have access to land. A farmer may have the knowledge and experience required to cultivate that land. The farmer may even have access to seed, fertilizer or other inputs. But if the farmer cannot prepare the land at the right time and at an affordable cost, the entire production cycle is compromised. That realization was important because it influenced the direction of the interventions that followed.
“Distinguished Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola did not approach agricultural empowerment as a one-dimensional exercise. He began putting together a broader package of economic and agricultural interventions that responded to different needs within the farming community. Across a series of empowerment initiatives, agricultural equipment, production inputs and training were made available to farmers. These interventions were designed not only to put equipment into the hands of beneficiaries, but also to provide the knowledge and resources necessary for farmers to use those interventions productively.
“However, there was a recognition that more needed to be done. If mechanization was one of the most persistent challenges confronting farmers, then the intervention needed to address mechanization in a way that was not temporary, fragmented or dependent entirely on individual beneficiaries. In April 2025, Distinguished Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola hosted the first Agricultural MEGA Empowerment 2025, an unprecedented agricultural empowerment initiative in the state in terms of the breadth of equipment, inputs, training and beneficiaries reached.
“The scale of that programme deserves to be properly acknowledged. Over 184 tricycles were provided. 603 pumping machines were provided. 24 solar-powered pumping machines were provided.66 power tillers, 500 planters were provided and these were only some of the categories of agricultural equipment and support made available through the intervention. Most importantly, the programme did not stop at equipment distribution. A total of 5,910 farmer beneficiaries received training and agricultural inputs as part of the intervention.
“This is significant because it demonstrated an understanding that empowerment is most effective when the farmer is equipped not only with an asset, but also with the capacity to use that asset effectively. It was within this larger agricultural empowerment initiative that the Yayi Tractor Empowerment Programme was established.
“The decision was made to dedicate 20 tractors to creating broader and more sustainable access to mechanization for farmers across Ogun State, with an initial pilot involving 14 of those tractors.
But the critical question was not simply, “How do we give tractors to farmers?”
The more important question was, “How do we ensure that these tractors remain operational, reach genuine farmers, are accessible to communities, are properly monitored, and continue to create value year after year?. That question fundamentally shaped the architecture of the programme.
Rather than simply handing over tractors and leaving their subsequent management to chance, a four-member Central Management Team was constituted.
“The Central Management Team was given the responsibility of putting the necessary structures in place for documentation, the establishment of Local Tractor Management Teams, the creation and coordination of the Yayi Tractor Users Association, and the monitoring of tractor operations across the state.This was an important departure from the conventional approach to empowerment.
“The tractor was treated not simply as an item of equipment, but as an agricultural service asset that had to be managed responsibly. The programme therefore introduced a structure in which communities had a role to play, local management teams had responsibilities, users had an association through which they could participate, and the Central Management Team had oversight responsibilities.
“The intention was to create a system in which access could be broadened while accountability was maintained. From that foundation, 14 Local Tractor Management Teams were successfully established and tractors were deployed to the following areas: Imeko, Agosasa, Ipokia 1, Ayetoro, Ilaro,Yewa South 1, Ado-Odo/Ota 1, Ado-Odo/Ota 2, Ifo/Ewekoro, Abeokuta Metropolitan Area, Odeda, Obafemi Owode, Ijebu Central 1and Ijebu Central 2”
She appreciated Senator Yayi for his support so far, saying the programme represents something much bigger than the provision of 14 tractors.
“It represents a deliberate investment in creating access to mechanization for farmers who would otherwise struggle to afford it. It represents a willingness to listen to farmers, identify a problem and then develop an intervention around that problem. It represents an understanding that agricultural empowerment must be meaningful, impactful, sustainable and monitorable and perhaps most importantly, it represents the decision to create a model that can continue to serve farmers beyond the day an empowerment item is formally handed over.
Senator Yayi’s investment in the agricultural sector has extended across equipment, inputs, training and broader economic empowerment, and the Agricultural MEGA Empowerment 2025 demonstrated the scale of that commitment.The 5,910 farmers who received training and inputs, the thousands of pieces of agricultural equipment distributed, and the establishment of the tractor programme all form part of a broader commitment to strengthening the productive capacity of farmers. For that, we are deeply grateful” she concluded
The General Meeting provides an opportunity for members to assess the programme’s progress, discuss operational challenges, share experiences from the field and consider ways to improve access to mechanization for more farmers.
The inauguration of the new 2027 Executive Committee is also expected to strengthen the Association’s leadership and coordination as it continues to support the programme’s objectives.
Also, the Chairman Tractor Users Association, Hon Jamiu Kolawole Adebukanla in his remarks appreciated the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) for their support, saying that its role as a unifying platform for farmers remains an important point of reference for them.
He said today’s inauguration is the beginning of a new chapter in the organization, coordination and development of Yayi Tractor Users Association across Ogun State.
“Today is not just an inauguration. It is the beginning of a new chapter in the organization, coordination and development of the Yayi tractor users Association across Ogun State. In 2025, when the Yayi Tractor Empowerment Program was first established, our leadership structure at the local government level was based on appointment. Those appointments were made with a clear mandate: to go back to our farmers, organize them into a proper association under the aegis of Yayi TractorUsersAssociation, and prepare the way for democratic elections.
That mandate was not simply about filling positions. It was about building a structure that belongs to the farmers themselves.
“Distinguished Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, our benefactor and Farmers Friend, in his wisdom wanted an association that would not only make tractors available, but would also have the organization, discipline and accountability to use those tractors effectively, maintain them, and ensure that their benefits reach the farmers and communities they are intended to serve. Today, we are taking the next important step in that journey.
“The inauguration of these elected Local Management Teams represents the movement from an appointment-based structure to a more organized, representative and accountable system of leadership.
“At this point, I must express our sincere appreciation to Senator Yayi, for creating the Yayi Tractor Empowerment Program. The program has provided an important opportunity for farmers to access agricultural mechanization and improve their productivity.But the significance of the program goes beyond the tractors themselves. It is about creating opportunities for farmers, strengthening agricultural communities, supporting food production and opening the door to a more prosperous agricultural future.
“The tractors are an important foundation. But the success of the program will depend on how well we organize ourselves around them. That is why the Yayi Tractor Users Association is so important”
He appreciated the outgoing members of the Local Tractor Management Teams for the good work they have done in the laying of foundation of the association.
“To the outgoing members of the Local Tractor Management Teams, I want to thank you for the work you have done in laying the foundation for this association.
“You accepted responsibility at a time when the structure was still being established. Your contribution to that process is part of the history we are celebrating today. To the incoming members of the Local Management Teams, congratulations but let me remind you that leadership in this association is not a position of privilege; it is a responsibility to the farmers.
“You are expected to organize your members, maintain proper records, promote transparency, support the effective use of the tractors, and work with the Central Management Team to ensure that the association continues to grow.
“You must also understand that the tractors are not merely machines. They are instruments of empowerment, and their effective management is essential to the success of the program.
“As we look ahead, we must remember that the Yayi Tractor Users Association is part of a wider agricultural community. Our relationship with AFAN and other farmer organizations should help us promote unity, cooperation and the interests of farmers across the state” he concluded
Meanwhile, the Chairperson of All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Ogun State chapter, Mrs Alhaja Ganiyat Kushimo, hailed Senator Yayi’s support for farmers in the State, saying that they have been enjoying his agricultural support since 2025.
She submitted that Ogun State is lucky to have him as the next Governor of the State in 2027, adding that she is quite sure that if Senator Yayi becomes the next Governor, he will perform better in all ramifications.
