The facilities and infrastructure available at one of NASENI’s Institutes, Agricultural Machinery and Equipment Development Institute (AMEDI), Lafia, Nasarawa state will be used for assembling and manufacturing of the tractors.

According to the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, NASENI, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, the project which is aimed at creating wealth and jobs for Nigerian youths is in line with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda of ensuring food security and promotion of mechanized farming and agro-business in the country.

Halilu disclosed this when the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr. Abdulahi A. Sule led a delegation comprising of Bob Track Tractors to pay a visit to  the Agency’s headquarters in Abuja on Monday, April 22nd, 2024.

Mr. Halilu who assured Governor Sule and the delegation of  NASENI’s readiness to do business with them, said, “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.”

He disclosed that Mr. President had recognized NASENI as a national brand and its National Tractor Recovery Programme wherein 55,000 tractors would be refurbished for mechanized farming nationwide.

In his remarks, Governor Sule said, he aligned with NASENI’s vision of collaborating and promoting made-in-Nigeria goods and also believed that government’s role is to provide a level playing field necessary for businesses to thrive.

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 a new land for the business.

The CEO of Bob Track Tractors, Mr. Ibifiri A.C. Bob Manuel said, “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 help of His Excellency, his team and NASENI.”

This was in line with the Federal Government’s directive that the six geopolitical zones in the country should host one AMEDI each.

The document of the 10 hectares of land situated along Birnin Kebbi-Argungu road was handed over to the Executive Vice Chairman /CEO of the Agency Mr Khalil Suleiman Halilu by the Permanent Secretary of Kebbi State Cabinet Office, Alhaji Dahiru Zaki.

The Permanent Secretary led a delegation of Kebbi State Government officials including the Perm Sec, Ministry of Lands and Housing, Alhaji Abukar Ahmed; Representative of Perm Sec, Ministry of Agriculture, Alhaji Adamu Dankawu; Special Adviser, Special Duties to the Governor, Alhaji Shafiu Zauro and the representative of the District Head of Zauro, (the host community) to the event.

Kebbi State got the nod of the Federal Government because of its vast arable land in rice production and other farm produce among the seven states of the North-West geopolitical zone.

The handing over of the land documents was done on the permanent site of the proposed institute. NASENI’s Director of Procurement, Dr. Mohammed Mohammed, received the documents on behalf of the EVC /CEO of the Agency.

Alhaji Zaki said that Kebbi State people are grateful to the Federal Government for citing the Institute in the state saying it will accelerate development and create job opportunities for the teeming youths in the state.

He added that Kebbi State was chosen as the site of the new AMEDI due to its agrarian capacity in rice production and other cash crops.

He added that,

”This land was earmarked by the state government in the last two years for allocation to NASENI for establishment of AMEDI. We are the leading producer of rice and so many other crops and that is what informed the decision to site this project in Kebbi state.”

Speaking on behalf of the EVC/CEO of NASENI, Dr. Mohammed appreciated Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi State for giving NASENI the land at a strategic location along Airport road in Birnin Kebbi to start building the Institute.

He said the project would commence immediately as the EVC/CEO has put all the necessary machinery in place.