By Abdulkareem Haruna


Maiduguri, Nigeria – Vice President Kashim Shettima on Sunday commissioned 375 refurbished tractors, part of a broader initiative to boost agricultural productivity in Borno State and across Nigeria.

The event, held at the Borno State Agricultural Mechanisation Authority (BOSAMA) headquarters, highlighted efforts by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) to breathe new life into dormant assets.


The tractors, fully refurbished by NASENI under its “Asset Restore Project,” represent a significant step in the nation’s drive for agricultural self-sufficiency. Vice President Shettima lauded Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum for his leadership, stating, “My greatest commendation to the Governor of Borno State for his commitment to providing leadership in the state.”


Shettima also commended NASENI, acknowledging its crucial role in various national interventions, including compressed natural gas (CNG) retrofitting and renewable energy technologies.

“We are reminded more than ever that we can’t create durable Nigerian solutions to Nigerian problems unless we localize global technologies, and relevant agencies must be supported to point us towards a stable nation and a promising future,” the Vice President remarked.


Governor Zulum, speaking earlier, traced the origin of the tractors to Shettima’s tenure as governor of Borno State from 2011 to 2019.

“Let me bring to the kind notice of this gathering that these tractors were procured by my predecessor, Senator Kashim Shettima, when he was the Governor of Borno State. He procured 1,000 tractors and their implements,” Zulum said.


He further elaborated on Shettima’s foresight, noting the procurement of “250 units each of groundnut diggers, fertilizer broadcasters, rotovators, balers and 25 units of combined harvesters.”

Zulum praised his predecessor’s long-term vision: “At a time when it would have been politically safe to focus only on short-term interventions, he chose instead to make a long-term investment in the future of our people.”


Zulum’s Farm Implements Also Commissioned
In a related development, Vice President Shettima also commissioned 351 farm implements acquired by Governor Zulum’s administration. Engr. Bawu Musami, Borno State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, detailed the implements, which include 121 units of disc ploughs, 180 units of disc harrows, grain threshers, rotary slashers, and 6-cubic-meter diesel tankers.