Abuja: The National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) has inaugurated the National Agricultural Mechanisation Service Providers Training Programme for 4,000 trainees across the six geopolitical zones. The 10-day programme is aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s agricultural mechanisation drive.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the Executive Secretary of NADF, Mr Mohammed Ibrahim, stated that the training was being implemented in partnership with John Deere representative AGCOMS, the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. Represented by the General Manager, Technical Services, Mr Ernest Ihedigbo, Ibrahim highlighted that the programme was designed to build a pool of certified tractor operators and mechanics to support the Federal Government’s agricultural transformation agenda.
He explained that the first cohort comprised 250 trainees, marking a strategic investment in the human capital needed to modernise Nigeria’s agricultural sector. The programme aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to reposition agriculture as a driver of food security, employment, economic diversification, and inclusive growth.
Ibrahim noted that despite Nigeria’s vast agricultural potential, productivity remained constrained by low levels of mechanisation, inadequate technical capacity, and limited access to modern farming technologies. He pointed out that Nigeria’s tractor density stands at about 0.3 horsepower per hectare, compared with India’s 2.6 horsepower per hectare, presenting both a challenge and an opportunity.
The training aims to address the shortage of skilled mechanisation service providers while complementing the Federal Government’s efforts to expand access to tractors and other agricultural machinery. Ibrahim emphasized that the success and sustainability of mechanisation depended on the quality of personnel responsible for operating, maintaining, managing, and commercialising agricultural equipment. Participants were drawn from the Tractor Owners and Operators Association of Nigeria, Tractor Owners and Hiring Facilities Association of Nigeria, Women in Mechanised Agriculture, and the Agricultural Development Projects, with deliberate inclusion of women and young people.
Mr Samuel Aende, Head of Mechanisation at NADF, remarked that the programme was part of the fund’s partnership with John Deere for the supply of 2,000 tractors, describing the training as a critical investment in both the trainees and Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
Mr Maruf Olalekan, Director of the Federal Department of Agricultural Mechanisation, commended NADF for investing in machinery and human capacity. He stated that sustainable agricultural transformation required skilled operators and mechanics and noted that the Federal Government was implementing one of Africa’s most ambitious mechanisation programmes.
Mrs Fatima Baidu, Training Manager of the Model Skills Training Centre- ITF, emphasized that food security could no longer depend on manual labour alone but required modern technology operated by competent personnel. She mentioned that the trainees would receive practical instruction in precision field operations, preventive maintenance, and safety protocols, enabling them to become certified professionals capable of driving agricultural productivity.