President Bola Ahmed Tinubu says his administration’s agricultural mechanisation programme is already yielding results with the launch of more than 2,000 tractors and thousands of other modern farming implements under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The president stated this during the official flag-off ceremony held in Abuja, accompanied by key stakeholders including Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, and other dignitaries.
President Tinubu said the initiative, delivered under a strategic partnership between Nigeria and the Republic of Belarus, is aimed at transforming agriculture, creating jobs, and reducing food insecurity.
He disclosed that over 2,000 tractors, 50 industrial land preparation machines, 8,000 ploughs, 12 mobile workshops, and a variety of specialised farming tools have been procured.
“If fully deployed, these tools will enable us to cultivate over five million hectares of land across the country,” Tinubu said. “This is a step towards moving our farmers away from the crude hoe-and-cutlass system to a more efficient, mechanised farming model.”
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, and the Minister of State, Senator Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, described the procurement as a landmark achievement and a turning point in the nation’s quest for food sufficiency.
The Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus, Victor Karankevich, commended Nigeria’s leadership and reaffirmed Belarus’ commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in agriculture and food security.
The equipment, assembled in Abuja, represents the largest agricultural mechanisation initiative in Nigeria’s history. It includes 9,072 assorted implements, and will be distributed under three key models: direct purchase, leasing arrangements, and a service provider scheme that allows smallholder farmers to lease tractors within their communities.
Governor Umaru Bago joined President Tinubu in inspecting the equipment and also witnessed the inauguration of the Baban Shada/Pai road project, constructed by the Federal Capital Territory Administration.
