The stalled distribution of the N50 billion farm tractors highlights yet another case of policy inaction that undermines citizens’ trust in government-led development initiatives.
Development Diaries reports that farmers are in limbo, as nearly four months after President Bola Tinubu launched N50 billion worth of farm tractors to boost food production, the equipment remains idle.
According to a report by The Guardian, the machinery is currently gathering dust at the headquarters of the National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC).
For decades, Nigerians have witnessed grand agricultural launches followed by lack of or delayed implementation.
From the Operation Feed the Nation initiative in the 1970s to the Green Imperative Programme announced in 2019, the pattern of lofty promises and poor execution has persisted.
With over 70 percent of Nigeria’s workforce engaged in agriculture, according to data from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) – yet contributing only about 24 percent to GDP, such inefficiencies continue to deepen citizens’ scepticism about the government’s seriousness in addressing food security challenges.
This latest setback shows the same old problem of government bureaucracy that keeps slowing down the implementation of critical national programmes.
The claim that the Ministry of Agriculture is still ‘awaiting directives from the Presidency’ more than three months after a public launch points to weak coordination and institutional inefficiency.
Meanwhile, headline inflation stood at 18.02 percent and food inflation at 16.87 percent in September 2025, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Rising living costs continue to squeeze Nigerians, while government interventions meant to ease production burdens remain stuck in bureaucracy.
In such a climate, every delay in mechanisation translates directly into higher production costs, lower yields, and rising food insecurity, leaving farmers and consumers bearing the brunt of administrative bottlenecks.
The situation also reflects the deepening trust gap between citizens and their leaders. Farmers’ groups such as the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) have received no updates on distribution, fuelling frustration and suspicion.
Also, many rural communities now view government agricultural projects as political theatre rather than genuine empowerment.
When agencies fail to provide timely, transparent information, it reinforces a perception that policy launches are designed for publicity rather than for tangible impact.
To rebuild trust and ensure real benefits for farmers, President Tinubu, through the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari should urgently publish a clear and transparent distribution framework, detailing allocation criteria, timelines, and the beneficiaries’ list.
The ministry should also establish local maintenance and service centres to guarantee the tractors’ long-term use.
Citizens need to see that agricultural mechanisation is not another empty promise but a practical step toward food security, job creation, and sustainable rural development.
Photo source: The Guardian
