First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has stressed the importance of equipping women and young Nigerians with modern agricultural skills and resources, saying their participation will be crucial to the future of farming and food security in the country.
Tinubu also applauded the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security for introducing the Agri360 Mechanisation Training Initiative, which is expected to train 5,000 women and youths nationwide.
She spoke on Wednesday at the National Colloquium on the Role of Women and Youth in Advancing Agricultural Mechanisation in Nigeria, held alongside the unveiling of the initiative at the State House Banquet Hall in Abuja.
The First Lady was represented at the event by the wife of the Vice President, Nana Shettima. Her remarks were contained in a statement issued by the Special Adviser on Media and ICT in the Office of the Vice President, Kwapchi Bata Hamman.
The programme will provide participants with training in agricultural mechanisation, digital farming, machinery operation and maintenance, entrepreneurship and agribusiness management.
Tinubu said mechanisation could transform farming by raising productivity, reducing the physical demands of agricultural work and making the sector more appealing to younger Nigerians.
She noted that its impact would go beyond crop cultivation to areas including machinery operation and repairs, agro-processing, logistics, technology and other parts of the agricultural value chain.
According to her, young Nigerians are already adopting digital tools, precision agriculture, artificial intelligence and drones to reshape the sector.
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“They no longer see agriculture as subsistence; they see it as a huge opportunity, an enterprise and a career path to prosperity,” she said.
The First Lady also called for increased opportunities for women in agriculture, noting that providing them with the necessary skills and resources to generate income and grow their businesses would have wider benefits for their families and communities.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, described mechanisation as essential to reducing the physical demands of farming and improving agricultural production.
He said the Agri360 initiative would address different stages of the agricultural process, from land preparation to value addition, while also providing access to water and machinery.
Kyari said the government was moving from “conversation to action” by positioning agriculture as an economic enterprise capable of improving farmers’ livelihoods.
He added that the programme aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, which places agriculture at the centre of efforts to drive economic growth, improve food security and create employment.
The colloquium identified inadequate mechanisation, restricted access to finance, shortages of skills and infrastructure, and the limited participation of women and youths as major obstacles to agricultural productivity.
Participants said expanding access to modern farm machinery could reduce the physical burden of farming, generate employment, encourage more young Nigerians to enter the sector and strengthen women’s economic participation, while contributing to improved food security.