L-R: The Executive Vice Chairman/CEO NASENI, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu; the Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Sen. Kashim Shettima; the Governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum; and the Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari, as the Vice President commissioned the tractors refurbished by NASENI under its National Asset Restoration Programme on Sunday, 8th June, 2025 in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, GCON, on Sunday, June 8, 2025, launched the National Asset Restoration Programme with the commissioning of over 375 refurbished tractors in Maiduguri, Borno State. The initiative, led by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), aims to revive thousands of abandoned public assets across Nigeria—starting with agricultural machinery.
Speaking at the Borno State Agricultural Mechanization Agency (BOSAMAN) Farm Centre, Shettima praised the programme as a smart and sustainable response to decades of asset neglect. “This initiative is a turning point in how we view government resources—not as disposable, but as assets to be revived and repurposed,” he said. “It supports President Tinubu’s economic vision by promoting self-reliance through innovation and infrastructure renewal.”
The Executive Governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, commended NASENI for restoring tractors that were initially acquired by Shettima during his tenure as governor. “That investment was the largest of its kind in any Nigerian state,” he noted, adding that NASENI carried out the restorations without charging the state government.
NASENI’s Executive Vice Chairman, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, explained that the programme was born out of the need to tackle the wastage of functional but abandoned government equipment. “Our research revealed that over 47,000 public assets—mostly agricultural and law enforcement machinery—are idle but restorable,” he said. “With local expertise, we can bring them back to life for just a fraction of their replacement cost.”
According to Halilu, restoring these assets will save Nigeria more than ₦10 trillion while creating jobs and boosting food security. He credited the support of President Tinubu, Vice President Shettima, and Governor Zulum for turning Borno into the pilot state for this national initiative.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyrai, described the restoration effort as a key enabler of Nigeria’s food security goals and applauded NASENI’s leadership for thinking boldly.
Dignitaries in attendance included federal lawmakers, state commissioners, top government officials, and private sector partners. The event marks a major milestone in Nigeria’s drive to leverage homegrown engineering to solve longstanding economic challenges.
