The Bank of Agriculture (BOA) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture have distributed 2,000 tractors and heavy-duty equipment to mechanised farmers across Nigeria.
The distribution took place on Monday under the Renewed Hope National Agricultural Mechanisation Programme (NAMP), with support from Heifer International and Heifer Nigeria.
BOA Managing Director, Mr Ayodeji Sontinrin, said the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s plan to transform agriculture into a sustainable, productivity-driven sector.
He emphasised that the programme goes beyond equipment distribution, but to build enduring systems that generate value across the agricultural chain.
“NAMP is more than tractor distribution. It is a commitment to building systems that endure, generate value and serve the millions of smallholder farmers who feed the nation,” Sontinrin said.
He urged beneficiaries to treat the equipment as a national trust, maintain their tractors, honour repayment commitments, and build businesses that create jobs.
Senator Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, said more than 100,000 applications were received during the first phase, highlighting nationwide demand for mechanisation.
He clarified that the tractors were allocated to Mechanisation Service Providers under a regulated lease-to-own model, not for private ownership.
“These tractors are entrusted to service providers to support farmers, not for private ownership,” Kyari said.
“Each tractor can service about 600 hectares yearly, reaching approximately 1.2 million farmers across more than 1.5 million hectares annually. It is about national food sovereignty.”
Kyari noted that many service providers are youth- and women-led enterprises supported by structured financing, including leasing, hire-purchase, and service aggregation models.
He added that the ministry will provide policy oversight, quality assurance, and national capacity-building.
“This is not just equipment distribution; it is a governed transformation delivering food security, job creation, and economic resilience,” he said.
The programme will expand access to modern equipment, reduce labour constraints, improve yields, and accelerate Nigeria’s transition to commercially competitive agriculture.
Source: NAN
