In a move to overhaul Nigeria’s depleting agricultural sector and tackle food insecurity, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday launched the distribution of 2,000 tractors and thousands of farm tools under the Renewed Hope Agricultural Mechanisation Programme. Unveiled at the Eagle Square in Abuja, the rollout is being tapped as Nigeria’s largest-ever mechanisation drive.
The project is a strategic effort to solve deep-rooted structural problems in Nigeria’s agriculture. For decades, farming in Nigeria’s agriculture has been marked by manual labour and antiquated tools, resulting in low productivity, high post-harvest loss, and rural poverty.
Under this initiative, the federal government will deploy 2,000 new tractors, 50 bulldozers, 10 combine harvesters, 12 mobile workshop vehicles, and 9,000 farming tools, including ploughs, seed planters, harrows, and trailers. President Tinubu announced that these tools will mechanise over 550,000 hectares of land and yield at least two million metric tons of grains each year. This ambitious goal aims to fundamentally increase Nigeria’s food output and encourage price stability on major food items.
The government has embedded sustainability measures into the programme. A key component is skills development. Thousands of young Nigerians will be trained as tractor operators, mechanics, and agri-service providers through a partnership with Belarus and AFTRADE DMCC, the programme’s foreign technical partner.
Additionally, mobile workshops will be dispatched to the countryside to provide timely maintenance. Every tractor is also fitted with GPS tracking devices to promote accountability and deter diversion or misuse.
Financing access and inclusive use
To ensure the programme benefits even those without capital, the Bank of Agriculture and other development finance institutions are offering loans and grants to cooperatives, agripreneurs, and local farming groups.
For smallholder farmers, a tractor-hiring system will allow them to rent equipment for specific tasks, reducing cost and expanding reach. Policy reforms are also underway to ease land access, encourage private investment in agro-industry and offer tax incentives to boost agribusiness development.
A push towards food sovereignty
The mechanisation initiative aligns with President Tinubu’s National Food Security Initiative, launched in 2023. Beyond increasing food supply, it is expected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs in agriculture, logistics, equipment maintenance, and farm extension services.
“We must seize this opportunity to achieve agricultural independence,” Tinubu declared. “Nigeria has the land, the people, and the tools. Let history recall this day as the beginning of Nigeria’s agricultural renaissance, where modern technology met our farmers’ legendary resilience to usher in greater prosperity.”
If properly implemented and sustained, this initiative could mark a turning point for Nigeria’s agriculture.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has initiated the Renewed Hope Agricultural Mechanisation Programme to address food insecurity and revitalize Nigeria's agricultural sector. Launched at Eagle Square in Abuja, this effort includes the distribution of 2,000 tractors and thousands of farm tools, marking the country's largest mechanization drive. The program aims to resolve longstanding issues in Nigerian agriculture characterized by low productivity and rural poverty due to outdated farming methods. The government plans to mechanize over 550,000 hectares of land, aiming to produce two million metric tons of grains annually, which should enhance food output and stabilize prices.
The initiative also focuses on sustainable development, including training thousands of young Nigerians as tractor operators and mechanics in partnership with Belarus and AFTRADE DMCC. Mobile workshops will provide maintenance services, while GPS technology will ensure accountability. To promote inclusivity, the Bank of Agriculture is extending loans and grants, and a tractor-hiring system is available for smallholder farmers. Reforms are being implemented to facilitate land access and encourage private agro-industry investments.
Aligned with Tinubu's National Food Security Initiative, this program is expected to generate substantial employment opportunities and contribute to Nigeria's food sovereignty by leveraging modern technology and boosting agribusiness. If sustained, it could signify a pivotal moment in the nation’s agricultural development.
