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On Monday, President Bola Tinubu in Abuja said that the agricultural Renaissance of Nigeria began while commissioned 2,000 tractors for the attentive at national level as part of the renewed agricultural mechanization program of hope.
The commissioning ceremony marked the formal launch of the program at the National Agricultural Seeds Council, Sheda, along the Abuja -lokoja highway.
President Tinubu reiterated his administration’s commitment to transform the agricultural sector of Nigeria by modernizing agricultural practices and guaranteeing national food safety.
He described the initiative as a moment of reference in the agenda of food security of his administration and a crucial part of the efforts to enhance farmers and stimulate rural development.
“We are very proud of what we are doing. We made a promise when we entered. We are keeping that promise. Two years ago, I played the alarm on the food safety crisis of our nation. I asked for immediate and innovative solutions. That, once again, an answer was given today – This is the first phase of it.
“This government recognizes that agricultural productivity is synonymous with national stability and food sovereignty. The ability to feed our population constitutes the foundation of a prosperous nation. Our ambition extends beyond simple self -sufficiency.
“We foresee Nigeria as a global agricultural plant, providing quality products on international markets, while guaranteeing that every citizen can access economic and nutritious food.
“That’s why we made a bold decision to establish this new agricultural mechanization program. We are only at the beginning,” he said.
The president revealed that the 2,000 tractors and accompanying tools would be distributed at national level through a model of service provider to support small farmers with access to modern equipment, reduce manual work and increase yields.
“We must take this opportunity to achieve agricultural independence. Nigeria has the land, the people and the tools. Let history remember today as the beginning of the agricultural Renaissance of Nigeria, where modern technology has met the legendary resilience of our farmers to inaugurate greater prosperity,” he said.
The president recognized the contributions of international partners, in particular the Republic of Belarus, who played a key role in the acquisition of the equipment, in the transfer of technology and providing training support to the Nigerians.
“We have friends all over the world. We have Belarus engaged in a program that will authorize our youth: we teach them how to do things, remove them from the streets and strengthen them in technology, machinery and manufacture,” he said.
President Tinubu made special tribute to Alex Sigman, a Belarusian businessman and a former classmate at the University of Chicago, for facilitating collaboration.
“Alex was my excellent neighbor and schoolmate in Chicago. We never dreamed that I would become president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Alex, a successful businessman from Belarus, working together to promote the prosperity of our two countries.
“I think our university will be very proud to do it here today,” he said.
President Tinubu praised the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Safety for his proactive leadership in launching the program and asked for a rigorous responsibility of the interested parties.
“For all interested parties who receive this equipment, they distribute it with maximum efficiency. We will work with you, we will supervise you and we will consider you responsible,” said the president.
President Tinubu urged the Nigerians to take ownership of the push of agricultural transformation and actively contribute to achieving food sovereignty.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Safety Abubakar Kyari recalled that on July 13, 2023, President Tinubu declared the state of emergency on food safety and issued a presidential directive for urgent and innovative solutions.
He observed that mechanization was placed at the center of the renewed agenda of the hope of the administration.
The minister outlined four key initiatives launched in the field of mechanization policy of the Tinubu Administration, including the John Deere tractor program, the Grener Hope project, the Green Imperative Program and the 2000 tractors just launched procured by Belarusia.
According to him, the Belarus project, implemented in collaboration with AFTRADE DMCC and supported by the Republic of Belarus, has delivered 2,000 high quality tractors, 10 combined harvesters, 12 mobile seminars, 9,000 tools and kits of reserve parts of 9000.
“Never in the history of Nigeria we have witnessed an agricultural mechanization initiative of this staircase, ambition and national attention. Today we are revealing the largest push of mechanization ever undertaken in our country,” said the minister.
He added that the program should cultivate over 550,000 hectares of agricultural land, produce over 2 million tons of basic food, create over 16,000 jobs and benefit directly from over 550,000 agricultural families.
Other components of the program include the operator’s compulsory training, the enabled monitoring for the GPS for responsibility, a structured reimbursement model and the allocations of pro bono equipment to the research and training institutions.
He also declared that the initiative will involve the young people of Nigeria through new roles in the management of equipment, in maintenance, logistics, extension services and agro-tech innovation.
Viktor Karenkevich, deputy prime minister of Belarus, congratulated the Nigerian leader and the people of Nigeria for starting a strategic and timely intervention to strengthen national food safety.
By creating a message of goodwill on behalf of the president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, the vice -president described the choice of the Belarusia of President Tinubu as a trusted partner in the supply of agricultural machinery as testimony of the lasting friendship between the two countries.
He noticed that the Belarusian equipment are known for quality, convenience and durability and is present in over 100 countries all over the world.
Karankevich recalled that both nations signed a road table during the Balaagro exhibition of 2024 in Minsk, establishing the foundations for joint agricultural mechanization efforts.
Today, the Belarusian machinery begin to serve the people of Nigeria. This marks the first phase of a bilateral reference project that has already raised our cooperation at a new level. “
He confirmed the readiness of Belarus to move to the second and third phases of the program.
He said the phases include the creation of service and maintenance centers for Belarusian machinery in Nigeria, establish local assembly systems for agricultural equipment, build cereal storage complexes and train the Nigerians to manage and maintain advanced agricultural machinery.
“Agricultural mechanization is only an example of our cooperation.
“Confirms the immense potential of Belarusse -nigerian relationships, based on friendship, equality, mutual respect and trust,” he said.
The deputy prime minister echoed to the words of President Lukashenko on the approach of Belarus to Africa, saying:
“We come to Africa as friends. We are ready to help you become masters of your land, for the benefit of your people and develop your sector, agriculture, science and technology.”
Karankevich has delivered an personal letter and an official invitation from President Lukashenko to President Tinubu, inviting the Nigerian leader to visit Belarus in a future date.
The dignitaries present at the event included the APC national president, dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje; The Governor of the State of the Niger, Mohammed Umar Bago; representatives of the Senate and Chamber Committees in agriculture; Members of the National Assembly, Cooperatives of Farmers and Development Partners.
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