The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) is set to initiate a groundbreaking collaboration with the Nasarawa State Government and Bobtrack Tractors, a division of Saint Bob Motors Limited. This partnership aims to establish a tractor manufacturing and assembling plant in the North-Central geopolitical zone of Nigeria, utilizing the facilities at NASENI’s Agricultural Machinery and Equipment Development Institute (AMEDI) in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
This strategic move was revealed during a visit by Nasarawa State Governor, Engr. Abdullahi A. Sule, and representatives from Bobtrack Tractors to NASENI’s headquarters in Abuja on April 22, 2024. The project is aligned with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which emphasizes food security and the advancement of mechanized farming and agro-business across the nation.
Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NASENI, expressed the agency’s commitment to this venture, noting that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) would soon be signed to kickstart operations. “The Agency is willing to partner with you and sign the memorandum of understanding (MoU) so that in the next couple of weeks we will move into action,” Halilu stated.
He further highlighted the national significance of NASENI, referencing the President’s acknowledgment of the agency’s National Tractor Recovery Programme, which aims to refurbish 55,000 tractors for nationwide use in mechanized farming.
Governor Sule expressed his support for the initiative, emphasizing the government’s role in fostering a conducive environment for businesses and promoting locally made goods. “The objective of his visit,” he said, “was to introduce the Bob Track Tractors which deals in assembling and manufacturing of tractor and farm implements with offices in Port Harcourt to NASENI so that it could utilize the existing facilities at AMEDI, Lafia for assembling of tractors instead of acquiring new land for the business.”
Mr. Ibifiri A.C. Bob Manuel, CEO of Bob Track Tractors, affirmed the company’s readiness to leverage the existing infrastructure in Nasarawa State to create jobs and drive the mechanized agricultural vision of the current administration. “We are ready to take up the facility that you have in Nasarawa State, create employment and wealth for the youths in the area and also use it as a hub to drive mechanized agricultural vision of the present administration. We are willing to invest in Nasarawa state with the help of His Excellency, his team and NASENI,” he stated.
This initiative marks a significant step towards enhancing Nigeria’s agricultural sector through local manufacturing, potentially transforming the economic landscape of the North-Central region and beyond.
