Agri360 Initiative to Train 5,000 Nigerian Women, Youth in Agricultural Mechanisation – Remi Tinubu

 Agri360 Initiative to Train 5,000 Nigerian Women, Youth in Agricultural Mechanisation – Remi Tinubu

....First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has commended the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security for launching the Agri360 Mechanisation Training Initiative, which is targeted at empowering 5,000 women and young Nigerians with skills in agricultural mechanisation, digital agriculture and agribusiness.

Senator Tinubu said the initiative represents a strategic investment in the future of Nigeria’s agricultural sector and a significant step towards strengthening food security in the country.

The First Lady spoke at the National Colloquium on the Role of Women and Youth in Advancing Agricultural Mechanisation in Nigeria and the unveiling of the Agri360 Mechanisation Training Initiative, held at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja.

Represented at the event by the wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima, the First Lady said the initiative would equip 5,000 women and youths with practical skills in agricultural mechanisation, equipment operation and maintenance, digital agriculture, entrepreneurship and agribusiness management.

She stressed that empowering women and young people was critical to the transformation of Nigeria’s agricultural sector, noting that they require the necessary skills, tools and opportunities to participate effectively in modern agriculture.

According to her, agricultural mechanisation would complement traditional farming practices by increasing productivity, reducing the physical burden associated with farming and making agriculture more attractive to younger Nigerians.

She added that the benefits of mechanisation extended beyond crop production to areas such as equipment operation and maintenance, agricultural processing, logistics and technology, thereby creating employment opportunities across the agricultural value chain.

The First Lady also highlighted the growing adoption of technology by young Nigerians in agriculture, citing digital technologies, precision farming, artificial intelligence and drones as emerging tools reshaping the sector.

“Young Nigerians no longer see agriculture as subsistence; they see it as a huge opportunity, an enterprise and a career path to prosperity,” she said.

Senator Tinubu further emphasised the need to create more opportunities for women in agriculture, noting that when women acquire the skills and resources to generate income and expand their businesses, the benefits extend to their families and communities.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, said mechanisation was essential to modernising agriculture by providing farmers with machinery and equipment capable of easing production and reducing the physical demands of farming.

Kyari said the Agri360 initiative would cover the agricultural process from land preparation to value addition, while also improving farmers’ access to water and appropriate machinery.

He noted that the Federal Government was moving from discussions to concrete action by treating agriculture as an economic enterprise capable of transforming the lives of farmers.

The minister said the initiative was aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which identifies agriculture as a key driver of economic growth, food security and job creation.

The National Colloquium identified low levels of mechanisation, limited access to finance, inadequate skills and infrastructure, as well as the exclusion of women and young people, among the major challenges limiting agricultural productivity in Nigeria.

It noted that expanded access to mechanisation could reduce drudgery, create employment, attract more young Nigerians to agriculture, empower women and contribute significantly to national food security.

The event featured goodwill messages from the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi; Engineer Patricia Stan-Dioka of Mela-Chiyoma Pat Limited, one of the partners in the initiative; and the governors of Abia State, Dr Alex Otti; Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno; and Lagos State, Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, among other stakeholders.

The colloquium provided a platform for stakeholders to examine the role of women and youth in agricultural mechanisation, share experiences and unveil the Agri360 Mechanisation Training Initiative as part of efforts to promote inclusive participation and sustainable agricultural development in Nigeria.