Buba Galadima, a chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has alleged that thousands of tractors procured during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari have remained unused instead of being distributed to farmers across Nigeria.
Speaking during an interview on Arise News on Thursday, July 16, 2026, Galadima criticised the state of the country’s agricultural sector, arguing that poor policy implementation has weakened efforts to boost food production and create employment.
Although he described himself as a longtime political opponent of Buhari, Galadima said the former president’s decision to procure tractors for farmers was a positive initiative that has allegedly not been put to use.
The veteran politician, who also described himself as a farmer, said agriculture remains Nigeria’s largest employer but continues to face challenges, including rising production costs and low returns for farmers.
Galadima claimed that thousands of tractors imported from Brazil during the Buhari administration are being kept in storage rather than deployed to support agricultural production.
“Buhari, as bad as he is, and as fiercely as I fought him, ordered tractors, thousands of tractors, from Brazil. They are all now parked at the Seed Council in Sheda, after Gwagwalada. Anybody can go and see. They refused to distribute them to the farmers,” he said.
According to Galadima, making the tractors available to farmers would increase food production, create jobs, and strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural value chain.
He argued that any government committed to economic development should prioritise providing farmers with modern equipment instead of relying on food imports. He added that agriculture has the potential to drive industrial growth by supplying raw materials for local manufacturing while reducing dependence on imported goods.
Galadima also stressed that no country can achieve genuine economic independence without first attaining food security.
He said that if the NDC wins the 2027 general election, one of its immediate priorities would be to ensure the tractors are distributed to farmers, arguing that such investments should directly benefit agricultural producers and support national development.
