FG Unveils Mechanisation Policy, Targets 4,000 Tractors Annually to Achieve Food Sovereignty

Federal Government unveils ambitious National Agricultural Mechanisation Policy to foster food sovereignty and agricultural transformation. The new policy, unveiled by Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, targets the production of between 2,000 and 4,000 tractors annually through a mega tractor assembly plant.

The strategy also encompasses machinery leasing, spare parts, digital fleet management, and agro-processing. Kyari emphasized that the government aims to move beyond mere tractor procurement and shift towards a sustainable private-sector-enabled mechanisation ecosystem. The Federal Government's Renewed Hope National Agricultural Mechanisation Programme (RH-NAMP) has already procured 2,000 tractors and over 9,000 assorted implements and spare parts, marking the largest single agricultural mechanisation programme undertaken in Africa.

However, success will be measured by the productivity and accessibility of the machinery to farmers. The policy aims to cover the entire agricultural value chain, reduce dependence on imported machinery, create jobs, and establish a sustainable mechanisation economy. The government seeks long-term partners to build an agricultural technology and services ecosystem, integrating young Nigerians, women, and persons with disabilities into the mechanisation economy.

Borno State serves as an example of successful state-led agricultural transformation. Key private sector players like TracTrac Mechanization Services Limited have played a crucial role in training young Nigerians as mechanisation service providers and deploying small-scale tractors to smallholder farmers. The success of the intervention relies on the coordinated efforts of the federal government, states, private investors, financial institutions, development partners, research institutions, and farmers.