Nigeria’s agricultural sector is on the verge of a significant transformation, thanks to the arrival of 2,000 tractors and 9,027 other farming equipment from Belarus. This procurement is a crucial part of the government’s broader strategy to accelerate food production and ensure food security for its citizens. Abubakar Kyari, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, has praised the development as a significant step in implementing President Bola Tinubu’s directive to revolutionize agricultural activity across the country.
Mechanization is key to increasing productivity, reducing post-harvest losses, and ensuring sustainable food production. The tractors, assembled in Abuja, were procured under a mechanization partnership between Nigeria and Belarus, formalized in September 2024. This partnership includes the deployment of 9,072 assorted agricultural implements designed to support various farming operations, improving efficiency across different agricultural value chains.
To ensure equitable access, the government has designed three distribution schemes for the tractors.The Direct Purchase Scheme allows individuals and organizations to acquire tractors outright through a government-facilitated purchase plan. By allowing farmers to rent tractors at discounted prices, the Leasing Scheme facilitates access to mechanization without the exorbitant expenses of full ownership. The Service Provider Model establishes tractor service centers in farming communities, where smallholder farmers can rent tractors as needed.
These initiatives align with Nigeria’s broader agricultural transformation agenda, which seeks to reduce dependence on subsistence farming and expand commercial agriculture. By boosting crop yields, decreasing labor-intensive agricultural practices, and enabling large-scale farming, experts predict that expanding access to mechanization will aid in addressing the food problem. Due to a significant reliance on human labor, antiquated farming methods, and limited access to contemporary equipment, Nigeria’s agricultural sector has long suffered from low productivity. One major obstacle to increasing food production has been the lack of mechanization, which has led to shortages and increased food costs. The government hopes to increase agricultural productivity by bringing in more tractors and mechanized farming equipment, which will increase food availability and affordability for Nigerians. The initiative is also expected to create jobs, particularly for operators, mechanics, and technicians who will be involved in managing and maintaining the tractors and equipment.
To ensure the sustainability of the initiative, the government has procured spare parts alongside the new tractors. A sustainable plan is in place to ensure maintenance is not a problem, and the government has ordered mechanized farm tools from the US, Belarus, and Brazil to boost food production.In addition to the tractor procurement, the government has also announced plans to focus on cassava and yam production. The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, has highlighted the importance of cassava production, noting that Nigeria has a team working to unbundle the cassava season.
The government’s efforts to boost food production are also expected to reduce food prices, which have been a major concern for Nigerians. The Minister has expressed optimism about reducing food prices, noting that the new yam and potato harvests are already bringing prices down.
