Vice President Kashim Shettima has officially launched the National Asset Restoration Programme spearheaded by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), with a focus on reviving tens of thousands of abandoned public assets and machinery scattered across the country.
This initiative, unveiled on Sunday at the Borno State Agricultural Mechanisation (BOSAMA) Farm Centre in Maiduguri, aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic reform vision aimed at boosting industrial productivity and agricultural efficiency through strategic infrastructure revitalisation.
The announcement came via a press statement released by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), and was attended by top dignitaries including Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Senator Abubakar Kyari, and NASENI Executive Vice Chairman Khalil Suleiman Halilu.
Nigeria’s Maintenance Crisis: Shettima Calls Time on Wasteful Abandonment
Speaking during the unveiling ceremony—broadcast live on NTA and monitored by Nairametrics—Vice President Shettima declared that Nigeria’s notorious culture of asset abandonment must come to an end. He emphasized that both public and private sectors in the country suffer from a chronic lack of maintenance and a habit of discarding capital projects prematurely.
“Enough of investing our scarce resources in ideas and projects that get abandoned halfway through,” Shettima said. “Enough of allowing our critical assets to lie in waste while we budget year after year for the same problems those assets were procured to solve.”
He stressed that the NASENI Asset Restoration Programme responds directly to this long-standing national challenge, offering a sustainable path to reclaim and repurpose previously neglected tools and equipment for future development.
Over 26,000 Heavy Equipment Units to Be Restored
Highlighting figures from government records, the Vice President revealed that Nigeria currently owns more than 26,000 non-functional but salvageable heavy-duty machines and almost 500,000 component scraps capable of being repaired or adapted for use. He contrasted these numbers with the harsh reality on the ground—only 7,000 to 12,000 functional tractors operate in a country that requires 2.4 million tractors over the next decade to meet its food production targets.
“These figures are not just statistics,” Shettima explained. “They are a reminder of our responsibility to unlock the hidden value within our national inventory.”
NASENI’s Broader Mandate: A Hub for Innovation, Technology Transfer, and Localised Solutions
Shettima praised NASENI for demonstrating vision and capacity in responding to Nigeria’s industrial challenges. He pointed out that the agency is already playing an instrumental role in advancing key sectors such as compressed natural gas (CNG) retrofitting, renewable energy adoption, and agricultural mechanisation.
“Beyond this promise to repurpose hardware, NASENI has shown it can serve as a national laboratory for technology transfer, homegrown engineering, and adaptive innovation,” he noted. “This is why the agency deserves our unwavering support.”
He argued that developing durable Nigerian solutions to Nigerian problems requires a localised approach, where global technologies are adapted to meet national needs. To achieve that, relevant agencies like NASENI must receive consistent backing from both the government and the people.
A Strategic Fit in Tinubu’s Economic Blueprint
The Vice President assured that the Asset Restoration Programme fits seamlessly into President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s broader economic strategy aimed at building a productive, self-sufficient, and diversified economy. According to Shettima, the initiative marks a transition toward expanding Nigeria’s agricultural, industrial, and creative capacities through smart investments in infrastructure, technology, and human capital.
“We can’t build a resilient economy without empowering our sectors with the tools they need to thrive,” Shettima explained. “This programme is a deliberate step in that direction.”
Public Ownership and Responsibility: A Call to Action
While stressing the Federal Government’s commitment, Shettima underscored that the success of the programme hinges on public participation and responsibility. He called on all Nigerians to view the restored assets not as government property but as national inheritance that must be protected and valued by every citizen.
“You are the other half of the work,” he stated. “If we restore these vital assets, we must all protect them. These machines, these tools, and these technologies belong to you, to every Nigerian.”
He encouraged communities to take ownership of the repurposed assets, emphasizing that sustained progress requires a collective sense of responsibility and care.
NASENI’s Unique Role as Nigeria’s Tech-Driven Industrial Backbone
The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) remains the only federal agency specifically designed for driving science and engineering innovation across Nigeria. Operating directly under the Presidency, NASENI’s core mandate includes developing technologies, machinery, and capital goods essential for Nigeria’s industrialisation, job creation, and economic development.
The agency plays a pivotal role in helping Nigeria transition from a consumption-driven economy to one rooted in production, self-reliance, and technological advancement.
With the newly launched Asset Restoration Programme, NASENI is set to not only bring idle public machinery back to life but also to ignite a nationwide industrial revival, improve agricultural output, and serve as a model for smart infrastructure investment in Africa.
Conclusion: Turning the Tide on Waste and Reclaiming Nigeria’s Future
Vice President Shettima’s launch of NASENI’s Asset Restoration Programme marks a critical moment in Nigeria’s development journey. By targeting over 26,000 abandoned heavy-duty machines and hundreds of thousands of unused components for recovery, the initiative promises to unlock billions in lost value, reduce wastage, and significantly boost national productivity.
Through the combined efforts of government, technology innovators, and ordinary citizens, Nigeria now has the opportunity to transform abandoned assets into engines of growth. In doing so, the country takes one bold step closer to achieving a resilient, industrialised, and inclusive economy.
