Tinubu flags off 2,000 tractors for nationwide mechanised farming

By Kunle Sanni –

President Bola Tinubu on Monday launched Nigeria’s largest agricultural mechanisation programme yet, flagging off the deployment of 2,000 tractors under the Renewed Hope Agricultural Mechanisation Programme.

Speaking at the launch ceremony held at the National Agricultural Seeds Council in Sheda, along the Abuja–Lokoja Expressway, Tinubu described the initiative as a new era for agriculture in Nigeria.

He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to food security and rural development, saying the programme is a vital step toward modernising farming practices and boosting productivity. “Two years ago, I raised the alarm on our food security crisis and demanded urgent solutions. Today marks the first phase of that solution,” he said.

The tractors and accompanying implements will be distributed nationwide using a service-provider model to enable smallholder farmers access to modern equipment, reduce manual labour, and increase yields.

Tinubu acknowledged the Republic of Belarus as a strategic partner in the initiative, highlighting its role in supplying the tractors, offering technology transfer, and providing training. He also recognised Belarusian businessman Alex Sigman, a former University of Chicago classmate, for facilitating the collaboration.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, described the launch as the largest single mechanisation push in Nigeria’s history. He said the programme aims to cultivate over 550,000 hectares of land, produce more than two million metric tons of staple crops, create over 16,000 jobs, and benefit more than 550,000 farming households.

Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Karankevich, delivering a goodwill message from President Alexander Lukashenko, commended Nigeria’s efforts toward food independence and pledged Belarus’s continued support, including plans to establish local assembly plants and maintenance centres.