Governor Zulum Calls For Service Based Farm Mechanisation Over Tractor Purchases

Governor Zulum Calls For Service Based Farm Mechanisation Over Tractor Purchases 

Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has urged the Federal Government and stakeholders to abandon the old model of buying and owning tractors, and instead embrace a modern, service driven system of agricultural mechanisation.



Zulum made the call on Wednesday in Abuja while delivering his remarks at the High-Level National Policy Dialogue on Agricultural Mechanisation organised by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.


The governor said Nigeria’s farming sector continues to grapple with low output, outdated tools, poor investment and fragile value chains. “Our challenge is not just about having more tractors in the country,” Zulum said.  

“What we need is a system where farmers can easily access mechanised services when they need them, without bearing the full cost of ownership,” he added.
He explained that mechanisation as a service would guarantee farmers timely access to land clearing, planting, precision farming, irrigation and post-harvest technologies.  
“If a smallholder farmer can book a tractor service on his phone the same way he orders goods, then we are moving in the right direction,” Zulum stated.  
“That is the kind of agriculture that reduces labour, cuts waste and increases yields,” he noted.

Speaking on Borno’s experience, the governor said his administration has placed agriculture at the centre of recovery efforts for communities affected by insurgency and displacement.  “We have made huge investments in agriculture because it is the fastest way to restore livelihoods and dignity in Borno,” Zulum said.  

“For us, farming is not just about food. It is about peace, jobs and rebuilding communities,” he stressed.


Zulum outlined a four-point framework he believes should guide Nigeria’s mechanisation drive.  
“First, we must mechanise to boost productivity and ease farm work. Second, we must digitalise to bring intelligence and accuracy into farming,” he said.  
“Third, we must regenerate our land and water resources for sustainability. Fourth, we must invest in infrastructure, technology and enterprises that will sustain the transformation,” he added.

The governor also called for increased private sector involvement and innovative financing to support local production and assembly of farm equipment.  
“We must attract investors into irrigation, renewable energy, storage, processing and value addition,” Zulum said. 


 
“Youth and women-led agribusinesses must be at the heart of this new model if we want real impact,” he said.
He warned that Nigeria cannot afford to replicate outdated farming practices.  “We must not rebuild the agriculture of yesterday. We must build the agriculture of tomorrow,” Zulum said.  “That agriculture must be smart, climate-smart, productive and inclusive for all Nigerians,” he added.

According to him, the ultimate aim is to create a farming economy that can feed the nation, compete internationally, generate employment and lift rural households out of poverty.  “The goal is simple: food security, global competitiveness, job creation and prosperity for our rural people,” he said.

Governor Zulum attended the dialogue alongside the member representing Damboa/Gwoza/Chibok Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Engineer Bukar Talba; Commissioner for Local Government and Emirate Affairs, Sugun Mai Mele; Managing Director of Borno Investment Company, Mohammed Bukar Umar; and Permanent Secretary, Government House, Mustapha Ali Busuguma.