Abuja: The Federal Government has introduced the National Agricultural Mechanisation Policy and the National Agricultural Mechanisation Investment Strategy to advance sustainable mechanisation and investment within the agricultural sector. The announcement was made by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, during a High-Level National Policy Dialogue on Agricultural Mechanisation in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the event was themed ‘Anchoring National Food Sovereignty through Sustainable Agricultural Mechanisation Policy, Innovation and Strategic Investment.’ Kyari emphasized the crucial role of food security in maintaining national sovereignty, economic resilience, and stability. He highlighted that President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda aims to use agriculture as a driving force for productivity and economic transformation.
Kyari elaborated on the Ministry’s responsibility to transform this vision into actionable policies and investment pathways. He emphasized the need to create an ecosystem where capital, technology, skills, and entrepreneurship converge to make mechanisation both commercially viable and widely accessible. The initiative aims to extend beyond tractors to cover various aspects of agriculture, including land preparation, planting, irrigation, and logistics.
The government’s goal is to establish a ‘Mechanisation-as-a-Service’ economy, ensuring that technology is available to farmers when needed. Kyari also announced the procurement and deployment of 2,000 tractors and over 9,000 assorted implements under the Renewed Hope National Agricultural Mechanisation Programme (RH-NAMP). A significant part of the strategy is establishing a mega tractor assembly plant, expected to produce between 2,000 and 4,000 units annually, thereby reducing import reliance and boosting domestic industrial capacity.
Kyari called for active youth and women participation in the mechanisation economy, positioning agriculture as a sector ripe for enterprise and technology-driven growth. Supporting this vision, Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno stressed the need for smart and mechanised agriculture, while Sen. Aliyu Abdullahi, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, described the dialogue as a pivotal moment for Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
Dr Marcus Ogunbiyi, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, highlighted mechanisation’s importance in ensuring food security, enhancing productivity, and fostering rural prosperity. He pointed out its potential to support youth employment, empower women economically, and attract private-sector investment, reinforcing national competitiveness.
Mr Godson Ohuruogu, CEO of TracTrac Mechanisation Services Ltd., shared insights from the company’s six-year journey in making mechanisation accessible and sustainable. He emphasized the significance of the new policy and investment strategy in shifting from discussions to a structured framework for agricultural mechanisation, particularly benefiting smallholder farmers who have historically been marginalized.