LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)- First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Oluremi Tinubu has backed the Federal Government’s Agri360 Mechanisation Training Initiative, saying equipping women and young Nigerians with modern farming skills is vital to food security and the future of agriculture.
Tinubu, represented by the wife of the Vice President, Nana Shettima, spoke on Wednesday at the National Colloquium on the Role of Women and Youth in Advancing Agricultural Mechanisation in Nigeria, held at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja.
She also commended the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security for launching the Agri360 Mechanisation Training Initiative, which is expected to train 5,000 women and youths nationwide.
Beneficiaries of the initiative will receive training in agricultural mechanisation, digital farming, equipment operation and maintenance, entrepreneurship, as well as agribusiness management.
The First Lady said mechanisation could make farming more productive while reducing the physical strain associated with traditional farming methods.
She added that its impact would go beyond crop production to areas such as machinery maintenance, processing, logistics, technology and other parts of the agricultural value chain.
Tinubu noted that young Nigerians were already using digital tools, precision farming, artificial intelligence and drones to reshape the sector.
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“They no longer see agriculture as subsistence,” she said, adding that they now view it as “a huge opportunity, an enterprise and a career path to prosperity.”
She also highlighted the need to expand opportunities for women in agriculture, noting that access to skills and resources could help them increase their income and grow businesses while strengthening their families and communities.
Notably, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, described mechanisation as essential to reducing the physical effort required for farming and improving production.
Kyari said Agri360 would cover the farming process from land preparation to value addition, including access to water and agricultural machinery.
He explained that the government was moving from “conversation to action” by treating agriculture as an economic enterprise capable of improving farmers livelihoods.
The minister added that the initiative supports President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which places agriculture at the centre of economic growth, food security and job creation.
Ppoor mechanisation, limited financing, inadequate skills and infrastructure, alongside the exclusion of women and youths, were also identified as major barriers to agricultural productivity.
With the Agri360 initiative targeting 5,000 beneficiaries, the government is positioning mechanisation, skills development and inclusion as key tools for building a more productive agricultural sector and improving Nigeria’s food security.
