By Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
The Federal Government has launched a massive agricultural machinery rollout, deploying 2,000 tractors and more than 9,000 implements in a bid to turbocharge food production and achieve national food sovereignty.
Unveiled at a ceremony in Sheda, Abuja, the Renewed Hope National Agricultural Mechanisation Programme represents what officials describe as the largest single mechanisation initiative ever undertaken on the African continent.
Speaking at the flag-off event, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, declared the move a watershed moment for Nigerian farming.
“This is not merely an equipment rollout. It is the ignition of a national agricultural productivity revolution, ending the long era of low tractor density in Nigeria,” he stated.
The first tranche of the scheme will see 600 heavy-capacity tractors deployed immediately, with a further 750 and then 650 to follow, culminating in a total of 2,000 mechanised units. Crucially, the machinery will not be sold to individuals but entrusted to Mechanisation Service Providers (MSPs), many of which are youth- and women-led enterprises operating under a lease-to-own model.
“Each tractor, with the capacity to service approximately 600 hectares per year, becomes not just a machine but a multiplier of productivity,” Senator Kyari explained. “This is about 1.2 million farmers across over 1.5 million hectares annually. It is about national food sovereignty.”
To ensure the longevity of the equipment, the government has included a two-year free service support package for each tractor. The strategy also involves the deployment of 36 mobile service trucks for rapid technical assistance and the construction of seven mega mechanisation service centres nationwide.
“We are not importing dependency; we are building industrial capability,” the Minister stressed, revealing plans to catalyse the establishment of a mega tractor assembly plant capable of producing between 2,000 and 4,000 units annually.
Financing for the programme is underpinned by a structured partnership with the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) and Heifer International. The Managing Director of BOA, Mr Ayo Sotinrin, noted that the initiative has already attracted significant interest, with over 10,000 applications received in the first phase alone.
He added that the scheme is designed to create a sustainable ecosystem, avoiding the failures of past agricultural interventions. “Each tractor must service at least 600 hectares annually to remain economically viable, ensuring sustained revenue generation and long-term operational sustainability,” Mr Sotinrin said.
The Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Dr Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, assured farmers that the programme would be implemented inclusively, with a particular focus on women, who make up a substantial portion of the agricultural workforce. By allowing farmers to access equipment through service centres, the burden of outright tractor ownership is removed, making modern farming techniques more accessible than ever before.
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