Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima has inaugurated the National Asset Restoration Programme (NARP), a flagship initiative of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), aimed at reviving over 26,000 broken but serviceable machines and repurposing nearly 500,000 idle component scraps across the country.
Speaking at the launch which held at the Borno State Agricultural Mechanization Farm Center in Maiduguri, the Vice President described the programme as a necessary shift in thinking, designed to reduce wastage, cut avoidable costs, and unlock dormant economic potential through local innovation. He also called on citizens to safeguard the assets being restored.
Earlier in his remarks, Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum described the launch as a continuation of the agricultural transformation that began under Shettima’s tenure as governor. He said NASENI’s decision to pilot the programme in Borno was timely, particularly in the aftermath of the September 2024 floods that damaged numerous machines.
Executive Vice Chairman of NASENI, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, revealed that a nationwide survey by the agency identified over 47,000 broken-down or serviceable assets, with replacement costs exceeding N14 trillion.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, described the programme as a turning point in efforts to improve productivity across critical sectors. He cited the alarming state of underutilized equipment, noting that fewer than 10,000 out of 55,000 tractors are currently operational nationwide.
Shortly after the launch, Shettima commissioned power infrastructure projects at Borno State University, executed by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited (NDPHC). The facilities include a 1×7.5MVA injection substation, high and low-tension lines, and three 500KVA distribution transformers.
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