Ilorin Company Where Abandoned Tractors Are Brought To Life

The era of having forgotten, dusty, and abandoned tractors at different locations in the country or making them left at the mercy of scavengers is gone for good!

A company, Honours Intercontinental Concept Limited, with headquarters in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, has rescued the situation and provided a workshop where tractors that have had a rough past and become dysfunctional are repaired and made to become functional.

Team@orientactualmags.com was taken on a guided tour of the workshop, outlets and office during the weekend by the CEO of the company,  Mr Anaekwe Gideon Qodri during which he talked about factors that motivated him to branch out into repair of tractors and other issues.

‘At Honours Intercontinental Concept Limited we sell tractor spare parts,  new tractors, we import tractors  and also repair tractors’ he said.

Mr Anaekwe Gideon Qodri, who noted that he started the business 23 years ago, disclosed that what he saw during one of his trips to Turkey made him branch out into repair of tractors.

The highly industrious businessman noted that during the trip in question, he was waiting to get the tractors he wanted to bring to Nigeria from Turkey ready and he visited the workshop and saw how they were assembling the tractors.

‘With What I saw, I extended my stay by two weeks to really observe the way they do it and I saw that it is what we can do in our country to make us proud and we set the wheels in motion on my return to Nigeria’ he said.

‘We have three businesses that we do here . There are three different categories of spare parts that we sell. Number one is tractor spare parts , two is generator spare parts and number  three is caterpillar spare parts ,but we have focused on the aspect that has to do with agriculture which is the tractor spare parts . We give tractor spare parts 75% attention because of the need to  enhance agricultural development in Nigeria.  So, we started with spare parts after which I developed interest in repairing tractors not only that , when I saw that people have old tractors and  yet they are looking for new ones .  Why would you leave your old tractor to look for a new one? Why don’t you refurbish it and make it become new? Because everything in life, once it is second- hand the value declines .You can also repair it to bring it to your standard.  So, that was what motivated me to start the repair of tractors, we are here to bring abandoned tractors to life and make them work like new ones’ he added.

Mr Anaekwe Gideon Qodri also urged people to have confidence in the company noting that measures have been taken not to disappoint prospective customers including the decision to join the Manufacturer Association of Nigeria (MAN) .

‘You know  that many people believe in Tokunbo and I have been importing Tokunbo tractors.  Actually, like I said earlier, it was through importation of tractors that the idea of repairing them came, .

When I got to the company  where I  bought about 13 tractors  in Turkey while we were  negotiating,  they took me to their workshop and I was like   ‘is it because  these people are oyinbo and that’s why you are selling what is not good to us and people will be rushing Tokunbo?  So, that gave me inspiration to do more.  So, when I saw it,  I now extended my stay by two weeks instead of going within three days I extended my stay . I told them, although I lied, I told them that there is more money coming that I wanted to buy more.  So, I stayed back  to see how they are doing their own. When I saw the way they were arranging it,  I said to myself  ‘you cannot do it more than I will do’ So, people here  in the country value those Tokunbos than the ones we assemble here because they have seen how we are doing it . Had it been that we are lying to them or probably our workshop is  in Eyenkorin or  somewhere hidden and we bring the tractors out and spray some chemicals to make it look like Tokunbo. 

We will be lying to them. We don’t want to be doing that . We want them to know what we are doing and that was why we joined Manufacturing Association of Nigeria to tell people that we are here, and we want to protect our name . By doing so, many people already  have confidence in us like people from Oke Ogun in Oyo State and people from Niger State. They have bought so many tractors from us even the ex-chairman of MAN bought one from us and I also thank the chairman of  Ifelodun local government , Kwara State, Hon  Femi Yusuf for having that confidence in us by giving us four of his tractors for  repair and by next week , we will be delivering two of the four tractors and  give him a warranty on those tractors because we have confidence in what we  deliver to the people’ he said.

Has Honours Intercontinental Concept Limited gotten desired patronage from Kwara State?

‘Not really’ he quipped.

 ‘We have not gotten  the expected patronage and that is why we are pleading with those concerned to please do the needful because this place is our place.  If I am in America, I should be a citizen, full citizen of America . So, I am a full citizen of Kwara. Nobody is taking me away from Kwara State.  I have been here since 1987 , I attended primary and secondary schools here .  So, let’s join hands together to promote food security and agricultural development in Kwara State’ he added.

Mr Qodri also commended Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq for improving farming practices and showing commitment to improving agriculture in the State of Harmony.

‘He is doing very well in the agriculture sector . I thank him so much because he has bought so many tractors and other agricultural equipment to ensure food security in the state. I appreciate him so much. He is one of my role models’ Mr Gideon said.

Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, he added, has also brought its dysfunctional tractors for repair.

‘Kwara  State Polytechnic has brought two of their tractors for repair. 

When they recommended us, the Rector was not sure that somebody like us can do it, but when he brought the tractors, he was amazed with what he saw. Because when he brought it, he was like, how much are we going to pay? I said, ‘no, we are not taking anything until we finish fixing it’. Go and use it, if you are not satisfied, don’t pay. It was after two weeks that they returned here and  paid. That is to tell you  that we are confident in what we do. So, if there is a problem of warranty, they call us immediately and we rectify it’ he said.

He also talked about the ongoing National Baseball League sponsored by his company which is being held at the Baseball Park , Adewole, Ilorin and will come to a close on April 12, 2025.

 ‘That is the sport I cherish most.  I played it between 1991 and 1992.  So, to give back to society , I need to start giving from where I started and being a sport lover and a baseball lover that was what motivated me to organize a competition among ten states in the country so that we can have improvement of baseball in Nigeria’ he said.

Team@orientactualmags.com also spoke with the Workshop Manager, Mr. Tosin Adebayo, who noted that it takes three weeks to ‘revive’ any dysfunctional tractor that is brought to the workshop located in Stadium Road area of Taiwo.

He added that the major problem of tractors is faulty cylinders, while urging tractor operators to ensure proper maintenance of the agricultural equipment. .

‘Any tractor that is brought here will be made functional and it will be like a new one. We also change the oil and filter for people and that will take just four days.   We do ensure that we do a good job’ he said.

Mr Tosin Adebayo also assured that the company has required number of personnel.

 ‘Workers at the workshop are about   30 and we also welcome NYSC members , who are mechanical engineers and students who are here for  SIWES or IT’ he added – Team@orientactualmags.com   Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com.  Thank you.