President Bola Tinubu on Monday launched a significant agricultural initiative in Abuja, inaugurating 2,000 advanced tractors and over 9,000 specialized farm implements under the “Renewed Hope Agricultural Mechanisation Programme.” This ambitious program aims to revolutionize farming in Nigeria, enhance food security, and attract young people to the agricultural sector.
During the launch, President Tinubu emphasized that the federal government is collaborating with international partners, including Belarus, to equip young Nigerians with modern agricultural skills, fostering financial independence and bolstering food production. He highlighted that the reforms introduced by his administration are designed to make farming an appealing and “sexy” career choice for the youth, moving away from “18th-century methods for a 21st-century agricultural farming implement.”
The newly unveiled equipment, which includes 50 industrial-grade land preparation bulldozers and 12 fully equipped mobile workshops, is intended to empower mechanization service providers, create job opportunities, and simplify farming operations. The President stressed that this strategy will enable year-round cultivation, significantly reducing Nigeria’s historical seasonal food shortages. He urged all stakeholders receiving the equipment to deploy them with maximum efficiency, vowing government supervision and accountability. “Let history record this day as the beginning of Nigeria’s agricultural renaissance where modern technology meets our farmers’ legendary resilience to create unprecedented prosperity,” Tinubu stated.
Senator Abubakar Kyari, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, revealed that the initiative aligns with the President’s directive for urgent and innovative action in agriculture, positioning it as a key driver for economic revival, job creation, and social stability. He noted that this mechanization drive, which includes the “Belarus Project” (a partnership with AfTrade DMCC and the Republic of Belarus), is one of four major initiatives under the Tinubu administration, alongside the John Deere Tractorisation Programme, the Greener Hope Project, and the Green Imperative Programme.
The Minister of State for Agriculture, Aliyu Abdullahi, highlighted the transformative potential of the program, stating that it would increase Nigeria’s mechanization level from the current 0.27 horsepower per hectare to nearly 2.5 horsepower per hectare, a figure closer to the global average. This “quantum leap,” he explained, is specifically packaged to address the low mechanization levels in the country.
The inauguration of this extensive agricultural machinery marks a crucial step in the Tinubu administration’s commitment to achieving complete agricultural independence and food sovereignty for Nigeria.
