The Federal Government of Nigeria has unveiled its National Agricultural Mechanisation Policy alongside the National Agricultural Mechanisation Investment Strategy, setting an ambitious goal to establish a mega tractor assembly plant capable of producing between 2,000 and 4,000 units annually. Speaking at the High-Level National Policy Dialogue on Agricultural Mechanisation in Abuja, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, stated that these twin policy instruments are designed to propel Nigeria from agricultural potential to an agricultural powerhouse, transitioning the country from a mechanisation deficit to leadership, and from food vulnerability to food sovereignty.
Kyari emphasized that effective agricultural production requires far more than land and good intentions, highlighting that mechanisation extends well beyond equipment ownership. It encompasses every stage of the value chain, including land preparation, planting, irrigation, crop protection, harvesting, processing, storage, digital technologies, financing, and maintenance. To support this vision, the government aims to build a "Mechanisation-as-a-Service" economy that delivers technology directly to farmers at commercially viable rates. Under the Renewed Hope National Agricultural Mechanisation Programme, the procurement and deployment of 2,000 tractors and over 9,000 implements and spare parts have already commenced marking the largest single agricultural mechanisation initiative in Africa's history.
The proposed mega assembly plant is expected to reduce Nigeria's reliance on foreign machinery, localise manufacturing, create jobs, and foster an enduring agricultural technology ecosystem. Kyari called on financial institutions, private investors, development partners, and young Nigerians to take ownership of this emerging economy, noting that agriculture has transitioned into a space of enterprise and wealth creation. Pointing to successful precedents, he praised Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum for delivering fertilizer and solar-powered irrigation to extend farming seasons, while commending private sector partners like TracTrac Mechanisation Services Limited for training young operators and deploying small-scale equipment to smallholder farmers.
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Addressing the dialogue, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, and Permanent Secretary Marcus Ogunbiyi reiterated that agricultural mechanisation is fundamental to productivity, rural prosperity, and national competitiveness. Ogunbiyi underscored the importance of building a complete national ecosystem where machinery is matched with maintenance, digital management, financial support, and proper training, reminding stakeholders that farmers must remain at the center of every intervention.
Adding to the private sector perspective, the CEO of TracTrac MSL, Godson Ohuruogu, highlighted that through initiatives like the ISSAM Project in collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation, over 500,000 farmers have already been reached, creating thousands of jobs and establishing hundreds of youth- and women-led cooperatives. The event concluded with Governor Zulum formally unveiling the new policy and investment strategy, alongside the inauguration of an implementation taskforce to carry the national vision forward.
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