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 farm equipment, valued at $70 million and ₦2.98 billion, was to be delivered under the Presidential Food Security Initiative (PFSI) and the Renewed Hope Agricultural Mechanisation Drive.
The lawmakers’ decision followed a motion by Saba Adam (APC, Kwara) during Tuesday’s plenary session.
Mr Adam noted that the non-delivery of the promised equipment poses a severe challenge to Nigeria’s ambitions of achieving food sufficiency and agricultural mechanisation.
Under the agreements, signed by the National Agricultural Development Fund and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, AFTRADE DMCC was contracted to establish a tractor assembly plant capable of producing 9,022 agricultural implements and 2,000 Belarus tractors annually.
The total estimated cost of the project stands at $684.1 million, with ₦138.6 billion allocated for delivery and assembly.
“A year after the agreements were signed, no single tractor or implement has been received in Nigeria despite the huge public funds involved,” Mr Adam stated.
He further stressed the need to investigate the procurement process, citing the lost opportunities for increased agricultural production, technology transfer, and reduced dependency on foreign-made equipment.
“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 already been lost,” Mr Adam added.
Following his remarks, the House mandated its Committee on Agricultural Production and Services to investigate the status of the procurement, delivery, and establishment of the proposed tractor assembly plants.
The motion was unanimously adopted after being put to a voice vote by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen.
The probe comes amid Nigeria’s worsening food insecurity and surging food prices, exacerbated by President Tinubu’s economic policies, including the removal of petrol subsidies and the floating of the naira exchange rate.
Although Mr Tinubu declared a state of emergency on food insecurity in July last year and unveiled measures such as the suspension of duties on essential food imports, food inflation remains a pressing concern.
Many agricultural producers have scaled back operations due to insecurity, unpredictable weather patterns, and rising production costs.
The lawmakers’ investigation underscores the critical need for Nigeria to meet its agricultural mechanisation goals, as delays in fulfilling promises continue to impact food production and exacerbate the cost-of-living crisis.