* Says technology key to food security
Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
The Managing Director for Hello Tractor in Nigeria, Dr. Nneka Enwonwu, has urged governments at all tiers to embrace technology in their bid to guarantee food security for the citizenry.
Enwonwu, according to a statement by the company Saturday, stated this at the just concluded Rural Farmers’ Hub 2024 symposium titled ‘Sowing Seeds of Innovation’.
The award-winning agricultural-technology company emphasised the transformative power of technology in achieving food security.
Enwonwu highlighted the critical challenges facing African agriculture, which included low mechanization rates and limited access to resources for smallholder farmers, particularly women.
She also made a strong case for the critical role of strategic partnerships in empowering smallholder farmers and transforming the agricultural landscape.
She said: “Hello Tractor is not just an app. We support the entire mechanization ecosystem, bridging the gap between innovation and accessibility for farmers.
“We are proud to have increased our acres under management for one million farmers and enabled more women to become tractor owners through our innovative financing program.”
Enwonwu further emphasized Hello Tractor’s commitment to partnering with governments at the national and subnational levels to establish policies and programmes that support increased mechanization and empower smallholder farmers.
She said: “The company continues to integrate private tractor owners onto its platform — expanding the reach of its services to remote locations across Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda and several countries around the world.”
Enwonwu called for active participation and collaboration among all stakeholders working in the agricultural sector.
“By working together, we can explore the potential of technological advancements and innovative solutions to ‘sow the seeds of innovation’ for a thriving agricultural landscape in Nigeria and across Africa,” she said.
Hello Tractor was founded in 2014 as a digital tractor marketplace that connects smallholder farmers with tractor owners.
It thus increased their agricultural productivity and efficiency.
The company’s mission, according to Enwonwu, is to revolutionize the agricultural sector in Africa by making tractor services accessible and affordable for all farmers.
According to her, “Since 2022, Hello Tractor’s pay-as-you-go tractor financing programme for agriculture entrepreneurs has generated a significant social return on investment (SROI) of 2.4.
“This means that for every $1 invested in the programme, $2.4 of social value has been created.
“This has translated to increased income for farmers and tractor owners across the country, and the creation of new businesses.
“The programme has also benefitted a wider community, with an estimated 150,631 indirect beneficiaries as at 2023.”
