Nigeria TV Info — FG Commences Training of 300 Youths as Tractor Operators to Boost Mechanized Farming

Akure, Nigeria — The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) on Monday flagged off the training of 300 selected youths as tractor operators and mechanics from the South-South, South-East, and South-West regions in a bid to deepen mechanized farming and strengthen food security across the country.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, speaking at the Agricultural Mechanics and Machinery Operators Training Center (AMMOTRAC), Ilado-Elemo, Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State, said the empowerment initiative is part of the Renewed Hope Agricultural Mechanisation Programme designed to boost food production.

Represented by the South-West Regional Director of FMAFS, Mrs. Temitope Alao, Kyari noted that the one-week training will equip participants from the southern states, as well as Kogi and Kwara, with hands-on knowledge in tractor operation, maintenance, diagnostics, and modern farming techniques.

> “To achieve food security for our nation, we must move from subsistence farming to modern, efficient, and competitive agriculture. This transformation is impossible without mechanization,” the Minister stressed.

Kyari further highlighted that the southern zone, with about 70 million hectares of arable land and favorable climate, holds the capacity not only to feed Nigeria but also contribute to global food supply — provided farmers embrace modern agricultural practices.

He lamented that productivity in the sector has been hampered by traditional farming methods, with the average Nigerian farmer cultivating less than 1.5 hectares of land using crude tools.