Imagine a farmer in Kano who has spent decades tilling 2 hectares with a hoe and cutlass. Planting takes weeks, yields are low, and much of the harvest is lost before it reaches the market.
That’s how 95% of Nigerian farmers work today, using manual labor on just 34 million of the country’s 70 million hectares of arable land. The result: delayed planting, poor yields, food shortages, and rural poverty.
The Bank of Agriculture’s new plan changes that. It’s a nationwide mechanisation drive to deploy 2,000 tractors that will cultivate up to 1.2 million hectares yearly, reaching 1.2 to 1.5 million smallholder farmers. This is the largest single agricultural mechanisation programme ever in Africa.
*What it is and why it matters*
Nigeria’s mechanisation density is only 0.27 tractors per 1,000 hectares, far below Africa’s average of 2.5 and the global average of 3. With over 230 million people and a population set to double by 2050, manual farming can’t feed the country.
The Renewed Hope National Agricultural Mechanisation Programme shifts from symbolic handouts to a structured, productivity-driven system.
*How it works*
Tractors aren’t given to individuals. They’re entrusted to *mechanisation service providers* - often youth and women entrepreneurs - who operate them as a business.
Each tractor can cover 600 hectares annually. Farmers book services through an app and pay as they use it, with repayments tied to hectares worked.
The model is a revolving fund: repayments are reinvested to buy more equipment without relying on annual budgets.
To avoid past failures where tractors were abandoned, BOA is setting up 36 mobile service trucks and 7 mega mechanisation centres for real-time maintenance and repairs.
Each tractor also comes with two years of free service support.
*Impact on stakeholders*
- *Smallholder farmers*: Gain access to mechanisation without upfront costs through a pay-as-you-service model. Yields are targeted to rise above 2 tonnes per hectare.
- *Youth and women*: Become service providers, creating jobs and income streams.
- *Government and economy*: The shift from subsistence to commercial farming could make Nigeria a net food exporter and address hunger and insecurity.
*Key facts*
- 2,000 Belarus tractors rolled out in Feb 2025 under the NAM Programme.
- 10% of tractors go to agribusinesses for quick capital recovery; 90% go to service providers via state/local partnerships.
- 9,000 precision implements are also being distributed to support expanded farming.
- Over 100,000 applications were received in phase one, showing strong demand.
*Recommendations*
Strengthen digital tracking to prevent misuse and ensure equitable access across the 360 constituencies.
Expand local assembly through the proposed SKD tractor plant to cut costs and create jobs. Prioritize training for service providers on maintenance and business management.
*Conclusion*
This isn’t just about tractors. It’s about replacing inefficiency with scale, dignity, and opportunity. If sustained, the programme can transform Nigeria’s agriculture from survival to prosperity, one hectare at a time.
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