Abuja, June 23, 2025 – President Bola Tinubu officially inaugurated the first phase of a groundbreaking Nigeria–Belarus agricultural mechanisation initiative, marking a major milestone in efforts to modernise the country’s agricultural sector and boost food security.
During the ceremony, Tinubu flagged off the arrival of 2,000 tractors and 9,072 assorted agricultural implements—including ploughs, harrows, and seeders—secured under a strategic partnership signed in September 2024.
The tractors are available in four models, varying between 80 and 90 horsepower, with both two-wheel and four-wheel drive capabilities, tailored to different farm sizes and terrains.
The equipment dispatch is being distributed through three channels: direct purchase, a leasing scheme, and a service-provider model, enabling smallholder farmers to access mechanisation services as needed.
The initiative is a hallmark of Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda”, designed to reduce food import bills, stimulate rural economies, and enhance domestic production.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Abubakar Kyari described the collection as a pivotal step toward closing Nigeria’s mechanisation gap and stabilising local food prices. He noted that the delivery follows Tinubu’s 2024 directive to procure mechanised farm tools from Belarus, the U.S., and Brazil.
Key features of the mechanisation drive include:
Diverse fleet: 2,000 tractors in multiple configurations, accompanied by 9,072 farming implements.
Strategic deployment: Policies designed to support individual purchases, leasing frameworks, and outsourcing to local tractor service centres.
Sustainability focus: Maintenance support guaranteed through spare parts supply for the next four years.
This first shipment aligns with Nigeria’s five‑year agricultural development plan, incorporating training from Belarusian experts to build local capacity.
Economic scale: For a mechanisation investment valued in the multi‑billion‑naira range, this marks one of the largest single imports of agricultural equipment in recent history.
Food security: The tractors and tools are expected to significantly boost yields, improve processing efficiency, and reduce Nigeria’s reliance on food imports.
Agricultural transformation: The initiative represents a strategic shift toward modern farming, rural job creation, and value-addition in agro-processing.
President Tinubu urged states to allocate land for mechanisation hubs and encouraged domestic participation through service-centre partnerships. Farmers across the nation are now preparing to benefit from a more mechanised and efficient farming landscape.
With further deliveries expected in subsequent phases, this inauguration underscores Nigeria’s commitment to agricultural innovation and economic resilience under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
