- NADF To Deploy 10,000 Tractors In Five Years As Tinubu Targets Agricultural Growth
- Tinubu Backs NADF Tractor Programme
- Promises More Jobs And Higher Food Output
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed confidence that the planned deployment of 10,000 tractors across Nigeria by the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) will significantly boost food production, create jobs and strengthen the country’s agricultural sector.
Eko Hot Blog reports that in his Democracy Day address, the President disclosed that the tractors would be rolled out over a five-year period as part of efforts to modernise farming and drive economic growth.
EDITOR’S PICK
- Xenophobia: 258 Nigerians Attacked in South Africa Were Innocent – NIDCOM
- Tinubu Reveals N128bn Mortgage Support for Homeowners Across 25 States
- Nigeria Posts 340% Surge in Trade Surplus to N7.55trn in Q1
Tinubu described agriculture as a key pillar of his administration’s economic recovery strategy, noting that investments in mechanisation and infrastructure are helping to improve productivity, connect farmers to markets and create opportunities across the agricultural value chain.
According to him, the government remains committed to tackling inflation, increasing food production, generating employment and improving the living standards of Nigerians despite prevailing economic challenges.
The tractor deployment programme is one of the Federal Government’s flagship agricultural initiatives aimed at addressing Nigeria’s mechanisation deficit and improving farm productivity nationwide.
As part of the first phase of the programme, NADF recently signed a procurement agreement worth about $70 million with AGCOMS International Trading Limited for the supply of 2,000 John Deere tractors to farmers across the country.
The deal is part of a broader presidential directive mandating the deployment of 10,000 John Deere tractors within five years.
Speaking during the contract signing ceremony, NADF Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Mohammed Abu Ibrahim, described the project as a strategic intervention designed to modernise agriculture and increase food production.
He explained that the programme goes beyond the supply of tractors and includes supporting equipment such as harrowers, ridgers and combine harvesters needed for large-scale farming operations.
Ibrahim revealed that the agency secured approval from the Federal Executive Council and engaged in extensive consultations with stakeholders, including John Deere, to ensure the project’s success.
“We got the conveyance of the Federal Executive Council in October and we have taken three months to go on a very robust and intensive negotiation with John Deere. We have also had stakeholders’ engagements,” he said.
He added that arrangements have been concluded with the Nigerian Ports Authority to provide land for an assembly plant that will support local assembly and distribution of the tractors.
According to him, the initiative is expected to stimulate local industrial activities, build technical capacity and create employment opportunities for Nigerians.
Country Director of AGCOMS International Trading Limited, Chijioke Okoli, said the programme is designed as a comprehensive agricultural mechanisation project rather than a simple equipment procurement exercise.
He explained that the company would establish local assembly facilities, train Nigerian youths and technicians, and provide long-term technical support to ensure sustainability.
“We will not just procure and assemble the tractors; we will also give our youth the opportunity to understand the technology behind what we are trying to assemble,” Okoli said.
He noted that local technicians would also be trained and certified to operate, maintain and service the equipment across the country.
Industry stakeholders believe the 10,000-tractor initiative could be a major turning point for Nigeria’s agricultural sector by reducing dependence on manual farming, expanding cultivated land and improving productivity.
The programme is also expected to support the Federal Government’s broader goals of increasing food security, boosting rural incomes, creating jobs and expanding agriculture’s contribution to the national economy under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
FURTHER READING
- Lagos Pushes Climate Investment Agenda as Sanwo-Olu Set to Lead UK Summit Delegation
- Crime Has No Ethnicity, Nigeria Must Remain United Against Terrorism – Tinubu
- Tinubu Pays Tribute to June 12 Heroes with National Awards
Click here to watch video of the week
