The House of Representatives has directed its Committee on Agricultural Production and Services to probe the failure to deliver 2,000 tractors and 100 combined harvesters under the Presidential Food Security Initiative and the Hope Agricultural Mechanisation Drive.
Despite a N3 billion agreement being signed for the projects, no equipment has been supplied.
Additionally, the committee has been tasked with investigating a N138.61 billion agreement between the Federal Government and AFTRADE DMCC for the establishment of a tractor assembly plant in Nigeria.
These resolutions followed the adoption of a motion moved by Mr. Saba Adam, representing the Edu/Moro/Patigi Federal Constituency in Kwara State, during plenary on Tuesday.
This development aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s earlier declaration of a state of emergency on food security shortly after assuming office.
Tinubu identified agricultural mechanization as a crucial step to address food inflation and hunger, while also aiming to boost food production nationwide.
In his motion, Adam highlighted that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security had “signed an agreement with John Deere Tractors to supply 2,000 tractors, implements, and 100 combined harvesters annually, in line with the Renewed Hope target for increased food production and food security.”
He added, “The contract for a tractor assembly plant in Nigeria was agreed to cost $70.042m (N3bn) with actual equipment and delivery costs. The contract includes sales, after-sales services, spare parts, and training for mechanized service providers.”
Adam further noted that the Ministry entered into another five-year agreement with AFTRADE DMCC for the establishment of a tractor assembly plant capable of producing 9,022 agricultural implements and 2,000 Belarus tractors annually.
“This agreement was estimated to cost Nigeria about $684.19m and N138.61bn as actual equipment cost and delivery/assembly cost, respectively,” he stated.
The lawmaker explained that these agreements were designed to provide significant benefits for the country, such as increased agricultural production, technology transfer, and reduced foreign currency expenditure on ready-made equipment by promoting local manufacturing.
However, Adam lamented that “a year after the agreements were signed by the National Agricultural Development Fund and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, no single tractor or implement has been received in Nigeria despite the huge public funds involved in these transactions.”
He expressed concern that the delays represent a major setback to the Renewed Hope Agenda on agricultural mechanization and undermine the country’s food sufficiency goals.
“Two farming seasons have been lost since the signing of the agreements,” he added.
The motion received overwhelming support from lawmakers. The Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, subsequently directed the committee to investigate the non-delivery of the equipment, evaluate the progress on the proposed tractor assembly plants, and review the procurement and distribution of farm implements by the Federal Department of Agriculture.
The committee is expected to report its findings within four weeks for further legislative action.
