Nigeria Receives First Batch of Farming Equipment from Belarus

The Federal Government has taken delivery of the first batch of 2,000 tractors and 9,027 other farming equipment from Belarus as part of efforts to enhance food production in Nigeria.

The Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, confirmed the development in a video shared on X.com on Tuesday. According to him, the initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s commitment to improving agricultural productivity.

The equipment will be distributed through three key schemes:

1. Direct Purchase – Available for individuals and organizations wishing to acquire the tractors outright.

2. Leasing Scheme – Provides farmers with affordable access to mechanized farming without the burden of full ownership costs.

3. Service Provider Model – Establishes tractor service centers in farming communities, enabling smallholder farmers to lease tractors as needed.

To ensure sustainability, Olusegun noted that spare parts have been procured alongside the tractors, with provisions in place for maintenance over the next four years.

In August 2024, President Tinubu announced that the government had ordered mechanized farm tools from the United States, Belarus, and Brazil to boost food production. Similarly, in January, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, disclosed that Nigeria had begun receiving the Belarusian tractors.

The government believes that increased mechanization will help reduce food prices and improve farming efficiency across the country.