ABUJA — The Federal Government unveiled its flagship National Agricultural Mechanization Policy and National Agricultural Mechanization Investment Strategy, laying out plans to build a domestic tractor assembly plant capable of churning out up to 4,000 units annually.
Speaking at a national policy dialogue in Abuja, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Senator Abubakar Kyari said the twin frameworks aim to transform Nigeria from a “mechanization deficit to mechanization leadership” while curbing reliance on imported farm machinery.
The new policy sets up a commercial model designed to pivot Nigeria toward a “Mechanization-as-a-Service” framework. Rather than focusing solely on direct equipment sales, the strategy prioritizes shared machinery access, maintenance networks, and private-sector leasing arrangements.
“Our ambition must be larger than equipment ownership,” Kyari told attendees, noting that the planned manufacturing plant would produce between 2,000 and 4,000 tractors each year. “We must build an economy in which technology reaches the farmer when and where it is needed, at a commercially viable cost.”
The Ministry of Agriculture confirmed that procurement and deployment have already begun under the Renewed Hope National Agricultural Mechanization Programme. The rollout involves 2,000 tractors alongside more than 9,000 implements and spare parts. Government officials described the initiative as the largest single farm machinery deployment on the continent.
Under the framework presented in Abuja, the federal government will set technical standards and policy guidelines, while state governments handle land acquisition and local infrastructure. Private sector investors and financial institutions are expected to fund fleet operations, spare parts manufacturing, and digital management platforms.
Minister of State for Agriculture Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi noted that Nigerian farmers have spent decades struggling with manual labor and inadequate technology, driving up food production costs. He argued that expanding access to equipment is critical to boosting yields and lowering market prices for staple foods.
“A tractor without an operator is an idle asset,” added Ministry Permanent Secretary Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, stressing that training certified operators and securing local maintenance facilities remain vital to making the investments last.
Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum formally launched the twin policy documents at the conclusion of the summit, where officials inaugurated an implementation taskforce to oversee the operational rollout.
