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| Tinubu launches tractors for youth farming |
President Bola Tinubu launched the Renewed Hope Agricultural Mechanisation Programme in Abuja on June 23, 2025. He unveiled over 2,000 advanced tractors, 50 bulldozers, 12 mobile workshops and thousands of farm tools . He said this will create jobs and make farming easy and attractive for young Nigerians .
Nigeria uses about 0.27 tractors per 1,000 hectares, far below the FAO’s 1.5 minimum . The new fleet includes 80–90-hp two- and four-wheel drives from Belarus. It also brings 9,072 implements (ploughs, harrows, seeders) to boost productivity .
Officials say direct hire, hire-purchase and lease schemes will employ thousands. Mobile workshops will train mechanics across states. Each workshop team can service dozens of machines daily. This will spur rural small businesses .
Tinubu stressed “making farming sexy” for youths. He aims to reverse rural exodus and idle-youth trends. Agri-startups now get subsidised access to equipment. Young operators can lease tractors at 30% below market rate .
The ministry outlined three channels:
1. Direct sale to organisations and co-ops
2. Lease-to-own for individuals
3. Custom hiring via local service centres .
State hubs will get equipment first, then local councils. Targets: 774 local governments by end-2025.
• Prof. Adebayo Adetunji (Univ. Ibadan) calls it “a landmark push for mechanisation” that could double yields in key crops over five years .
• Dr. Grace Akpan (Agri-Policy Inst.) warns of fuel and spare-parts gaps. She urges setting up local assembly lines to cut forex costs .
The government approved $684 million for tractors and implements assembly with AFTRADE DMCC, plus ₦138.6 billion for delivery and after-sales services over five years . A John Deere deal covers 2,000 tractors and 100 harvesters annually at $70 million per tranche .
Past probes flagged non-delivery of earlier batches. Reps resolved to investigate delivery delays and plant setup . Fuel subsidies and rural roads remain weak links.
Mechanisation could cut post-harvest losses by 30% and boost national output by 20% within three years . The move aligns with Tinubu’s state of emergency on food security declared May 2023 .
• Pauline from Benue leases a tractor. She reports planting 50 ha in weeks, up from 10 ha before.
• Emeka in Kano joined a co-op hiring scheme. He now trains local youths on basic repairs.
The scheme ties into the National Agriculture Seeds Council reforms and expands NASENI’s restore-and-refurbish drive for broken tractors .