Food security: Tinubu flags off distribution of 2,000 tractors to farmers nationwide

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Monday, officially launched the distribution of 2,000 advanced tractors and over 9,000 complementary farming implements to farmers across Nigeria, under the Renewed Hope Agricultural Mechanisation Programme, the most ambitious mechanisation initiative in the nation’s history.

The flag-off ceremony, held in Abuja, marks a significant stride in Nigeria’s effort to attain food sovereignty, stimulate rural employment, and reposition agriculture as a major driver of economic growth.

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The initiative, part of a bilateral agreement with the Republic of Belarus, is designed to bring over 550,000 hectares of land into cultivation, generate more than 2 million metric tons of food, and create over 16,000 jobs nationwide.

Speaking at the event, President Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to making Nigeria agriculturally self-sufficient and globally competitive.

He described the program as a monumental leap forward and a fulfillment of the promises made at the onset of his presidency.

“We made a promise when we came in, and we are fulfilling that promise. This initiative is not just about distributing equipment — it is about transforming agriculture from subsistence to scale,” the President said.

He stressed that agricultural productivity is directly linked to national stability and economic resilience, adding that Nigeria’s ambition is not just food self-sufficiency, but becoming a global agricultural powerhouse.

The distributed assets include 2,000 tractors (varying in horsepower and configurations), 2,000 disc ploughs and harrows, and 1,000 disc ridgers.

Others are 1,200 tractor trailers, 500 seed drills, 300 boom sprayers, 10 combine harvesters, 12 mobile workshop vehicles, and 9,022 sets of spare parts.

In addition to the equipment, a nationwide training program will be rolled out for farmers, technicians, and operators on the proper use, maintenance, and servicing of the machinery.

The programme also includes GPS-enabled tracking, a structured repayment and repossession framework, and partnerships with development and non-interest banks to ensure sustainability.

President Tinubu charged all stakeholders including service providers, cooperatives, and state governments, to deploy the assets with efficiency and accountability.

“We must seize this opportunity to achieve complete agricultural independence. Let history recall this day as the beginning of Nigeria’s agricultural renewal, where modern technology meets our farmers’ legendary resilience”, he said.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, reiterated President Tinubu’s vision, describing the initiative as a landmark milestone in Nigeria’s agricultural transformation.

He noted that today’s launch is the culmination of multiple presidential directives, beginning with the state of emergency on food security declared on July 13, 2023.

“Never in Nigeria’s history have we witnessed a mechanization initiative of this scale, ambition, and national focus. This is about shifting from hand hoe to horsepower, from effort to efficiency,” Kyari said.

He acknowledged the pivotal role of AFRA-DMCC, a Belarusian agricultural machinery firm, and the Government of Belarus in executing the supply deal, which includes the delivery of 9,022 units of equipment and parts over the next several months.

The Republic of Belarus was represented at the ceremony by Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Karankevich and Foreign Affairs Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov, who led a high-level delegation in a show of support for the growing Nigeria-Belarus partnership in agricultural development.

The mechanization program falls under a five-year bilateral roadmap signed in June 2024, during Minister Kyari’s visit to Minsk.

According to the agreement, Belarus will also provide technology transfer, training, and support services to enhance local capacity and food production in Nigeria.

With this launch, the Tinubu administration has taken a bold step toward reducing Nigeria’s dependence on food imports, improving nutrition, and creating a new generation of youth-driven agripreneurs poised to drive innovation in the agriculture sector.