Reps probe non-delivery of 2,000 tractors, other equipment promised by Tinubu

The House of Representatives has launched an investigation into the non-delivery of 2,000 tractors and 100 combined harvesters promised by President Bola Tinubu in 2023.

The equipment, valued at $70 million and ₦2.98 billion, were to be delivered under the Presidential Food Security Initiative and the Renewed Hope Agricultural Mechanisation Drive.

The House’s decision to probe the initiative followed a motion moved by Saba Adam (APC, Kwara) on Tuesday during plenary.

In his motion, Mr Adam noted that the farm equipment had not been delivered, stressing the need to investigate the entire procurement process.

The legislator explained that under the Presidential Food Security Initiative (PFSI), the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security had entered into a five-year agreement with AFTRADE DMCC for the establishment of a tractor assembly plant. The plant was to produce 9,022 agricultural implements and 2,000 Belarus tractors annually, at an estimated cost of $684.1 million for the equipment and ₦138.6 billion for delivery and assembly.

He stated that the agreement, if properly implemented, would have significant benefits for the country, including increased agricultural production, technology transfer, and a reduction in foreign currency expenditure on ready-made equipment due to the growth of local production.

“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 said.

“The non-delivery of these tractors and implements is a setback to the Renewed Hope Agenda in agricultural mechanisation and poses a challenge to Nigeria’s food sufficiency ambitions, as two farming seasons have been lost since the signing of the agreements.

“There is a need to investigate the non-delivery of the tractors, implements, and combined harvesters over a year after the agreements were signed, as well as the status of the tractor assembly plants envisioned by the agreements,” the lawmaker added.

Consequently, the House mandated its Committee on Agricultural Production and Services to investigate the procurement and distribution of the equipment.

The motion was adopted without debate. When put to a vote by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, the voice vote in favour of the motion was unanimous.

Food crisis in Nigeria

Nigeria has been experiencing a sharp increase in food prices in recent years, a trend that worsened in 2023 following President Tinubu’s removal of petrol subsidies and the adoption of a floating exchange rate for the naira.

This shift has led to a steep increase in the cost of staple food, pushing many Nigerians further into poverty and heightening food insecurity.

The persistent surge in prices over the past year has led to the closure of several farms and businesses, with many agricultural producers scaling back their output due to insecurity and unpredictable weather conditions affecting rural areas.

In response, Mr Tinubu declared a state of emergency on food insecurity in July last year, aiming to combat rising food costs. Despite these efforts, food inflation has continued unabated.

In July, Mr Tinubu unveiled some proactive measures meant to address skyrocketing food prices in the country. Amongst the measures was suspension of duties, tariffs, and taxes on the importation of essential food items such as beans, wheat, and husked brown rice.

However, despite these interventions, food inflation has shown little sign of easing.