News in brief:
– Vice President Shettima has launched the National Asset Restoration Programme in Borno with a tractor recovery project.
– The initiative aims to restore over 55,000 broken tractors nationwide to boost mechanised farming and food security.
Vice President Kashim Shettima recently launched the National Asset Restoration Programme (NARP) in Maiduguri, Borno State, starting with the revitalisation of grounded tractors under the NASENI Tractor Recovery Project.
The event, held at the Borno State Agricultural Mechanisation (BOSAMAN) Farm Centre, is a bold step in the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda to boost food production and transform rural economies through mechanised agriculture.
NASENI to restore thousands of idle tractors
The Tractor Recovery Project, spearheaded by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) in partnership with Machine and Equipment Corporation Africa Limited (MECA), will recover thousands of non-functional tractors nationwide.
According to NASENI, Nigeria currently has an estimated 55,000 grounded tractors, with only 7,000 to 10,000 still operational.
The country’s agriculture sector faces a serious mechanisation and low tractor density problem. The initiative aims to overhaul these idle assets and deploy them to farms where they are desperately needed.
Each tractor will undergo full mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, and structural restoration to ensure long-term performance and reliability in the field.
Shettima, Zulum, and top officials to attend launch
Vice President Shettima was the Special Guest of Honour at the launch, which was also attended by Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, and NASENI’s Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, along with other federal and state dignitaries.
Officials stress that this was not just a ceremonial project but a practical intervention aimed at improving Nigeria’s food systems and rural productivity through indigenous engineering solutions.
In a statement signed by NASENI’s Director of Information, Mr. Olusegun Ayeoyenikan, the agency highlighted that the programme is designed to boost mechanised agriculture, enhance food security, and revitalise rural economies.
The Tractor Recovery Project is fully funded, supervised, and implemented by NASENI, reinforcing the government’s commitment to using local innovation to solve national problems.
Nationwide rollout expected soon
The National Asset Restoration Programme will be expanded to other states in the coming months. It will go beyond tractors, targeting critical national infrastructure and machinery across various sectors, thereby supporting economic growth, resilience, and sustainable development.
The project is seen as a key pillar in rebuilding Nigeria’s productive capacity, creating jobs, and achieving food self-sufficiency through technology-driven agricultural transformation.
