Shettima launches NASENI’s national asset restoration programme to revive Nigeria’s industrial and agric capacity

The initiative is part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to boost Nigeria’s industrial and agricultural sectors through local innovation and sustainable asset management.

Speaking at the Borno State Agricultural Mechanization Farm Center in Maiduguri, Shettima stressed that the programme’s goal to reduce waste, cut unnecessary spending, and power national development. “For so long, we have been profiled as a nation with poor maintenance culture… enough is enough,” he said, highlighting the need to unlock the value of idle assets through engineering ingenuity.

Following the launch, the Vice President commissioned a power infrastructure project at Borno State University executed by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited (NDPHC), which includes a substation, power lines, and transformers to enhance local electricity supply.

Shettima praised NASENI’s Executive Vice Chairman, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, for steering the agency with “vision, urgency, and clarity of purpose,” and reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to building a self-reliant, diversified economy centered on infrastructure and innovation.

“This initiative is a response to our cross-generational dilemma about what to do with abandoned and poorly maintained assets… It’s a powerful shift in how we think about value, sustainability, and innovation,” he remarked.

Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum recalled the Vice President’s previous investments in agricultural machinery as governor, noting the strategic importance of the restoration programme, especially after recent flood damage to equipment.

He stressed that Nigeria needs at least 750,000 functional tractors but currently has less than 10% operational. The programme’s selection of Borno as the pilot state offers a timely lifeline to revive farming capacity.

NASENI’s CEO, Khalil Halilu, revealed that Nigeria holds over 47,000 broken or serviceable agricultural and law enforcement assets valued at more than N14 trillion. Instead of costly replacements, NASENI proposes restoring these assets at just 15 to 25 percent of replacement cost, saving over N10 trillion while restoring productivity and jobs.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, described the launch as a defining moment to bring productivity back to public service delivery, noting the programme’s alignment with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

He highlighted that fewer than 10,000 out of an estimated 55,000 tractors in Nigeria remain operational, underscoring the need for restoration over replacement.

The event was attended by key government officials, including representatives from NASENI, NDPHC, Borno State Executive Council, and members of the National Assembly, signaling broad support for this transformative initiative.

This programme represents a major step toward reviving Nigeria’s agricultural and industrial machinery through indigenous engineering solutions, reducing waste, and promoting sustainable development. VP Shettima urged the public to protect these restored assets as national heritage, emphasizing collective responsibility for their upkeep and use.