BOA, FG Distribute 2,000 Tractors for Mechanised Farming

News in brief:

-BOA and the Federal Government have distributed 2,000 tractors and heavy-duty equipment to mechanised farmers.

-The initiative targets 1.2 million farmers annually under a regulated lease-to-own model.

The Bank of Agriculture (BoA) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security recently distributed 2,000 tractors and heavy-duty agricultural equipment to mechanised farmers as part of efforts to boost production and strengthen national food security.

The distribution, supported by Heifer International and Heifer Nigeria, was carried out under the Renewed Hope National Agricultural Mechanisation Programme (NAMP).

Mechanisation Programme Targets Systemic Transformation

Speaking on Monday, BOA Managing Director, Ayodeji Sontinrin, said the initiative aligns with the government’s plan to reposition agriculture as a sustainable and productivity-driven sector.

He stressed that the programme extends beyond the distribution of tractors and is designed to establish enduring systems that generate value across the agricultural value chain, particularly for smallholder farmers.

“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,” he said.

Sontinrin added that the initiative is structured to deliver long-term economic returns while positioning Nigeria as a leading food-producing nation.

“This is an ambitious agenda, but achievable because it rests on sound principles: financial discipline, inclusive participation, digital accountability and ecosystem thinking,” he stated.

He urged beneficiaries to treat the equipment as a national trust, maintain the machinery, honour repayment commitments and build sustainable agribusiness ventures.

Tractors Deployed Under Lease-to-Own Model

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, disclosed that more than 100,000 applications were received during the first phase of the programme, reflecting strong nationwide demand for mechanisation.

He clarified that the tractors were not allocated for private ownership but deployed through Mechanisation Service Providers under a regulated lease-to-own arrangement.

“These tractors are entrusted to service providers to support farmers, not for private ownership,” Kyari explained.

According to him, each tractor has the capacity to service approximately 600 hectares annually, significantly improving productivity levels.

“These machines are productivity multipliers, reaching about 1.2 million farmers across more than 1.5 million hectares annually. It is about national food sovereignty,” he said.

Youth and Women Enterprises

Kyari noted that many of the service providers are youth- and women-led enterprises supported through structured financing and sustainability mechanisms.

He said the bank, in collaboration with Heifer, is deploying financing models including leasing, hire-purchase, and service aggregation to ensure long-term viability.

The ministry, he added, will provide policy oversight, quality assurance, monitoring and national capacity-building support.

“This is not just equipment distribution. It is a governed transformation delivering food security, job creation and economic resilience,” Kyari said.

The mechanisation programme is expected to expand access to modern equipment, reduce labour constraints, improve yields and accelerate Nigeria’s transition towards commercially competitive agriculture.