By Bello Hamza
Hello Tractor, the award-winning agricultural-technology company, played a prominent role at the Rural Farmers’ Hub 2024 symposium, “Sowing Seeds of Innovation,” held this week.
The company’s Country Managing Director for Nigeria, Dr. Nneka Enwonwu, delivered a keynote address emphasizing the transformative power of technology in achieving food security.
Dr. Enwonwu highlighted the critical challenges facing African agriculture, including 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.
“Hello Tractor is not just an app,” said Dr. Enwonwu. “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.”
Dr. Enwonwu further emphasized Hello Tractor’s commitment to partnering with governments at the national and subnational levels to establish policies and programs that support increased mechanization and empower smallholder farmers. 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.
The Hello Tractor address focused on the symposium’s theme, “Sowing Seeds of Innovation.” Dr. Enwonwu concluded by calling 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.
About Hello Tractor
Founded in 2014, Hello Tractor is a digital tractor marketplace that connects smallholder farmers with tractor owners, thereby increasing their agricultural productivity and efficiency. The company’s mission is to revolutionize the agricultural sector in Africa by making tractor services accessible and affordable for all farmers.
Since 2022, Hello Tractor’s Pay-As-You-Go tractor financing program for agriculture entrepreneurs has generated a significant social return on investment (SROI) of 2.4, meaning that for every $1 invested in the program, $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 program has also benefited a wider community, with an estimated 150,631 indirect beneficiaries as at 2023.
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