Stakeholders urge youth, women inclusion in FG’s 10,000 tractor program

The National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) and Heifer International Nigeria on Monday convened a high-level stakeholder workshop focused on the Implementation of Nigeria’s 10,000 tractors initiative. Themed “Implementation of the 10,000 Tractors Initiative with a Focus on the 2,000 Tractor Pilot Phase,” the event underscored the critical need for youth inclusion in advancing agricultural mechanization […]

The National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) and Heifer International Nigeria on Monday convened a high-level stakeholder workshop focused on the Implementation of Nigeria’s 10,000 tractors initiative.

Themed “Implementation of the 10,000 Tractors Initiative with a Focus on the 2,000 Tractor Pilot Phase,” the event underscored the critical need for youth inclusion in advancing agricultural mechanization and driving sustainable development in the sector.

Discussions centered on ensuring that youth participation becomes a cornerstone of Nigeria’s mechanization drive. Stakeholders explored key approaches to foster youth engagement, such as developing operator and technician training programs, creating accessible financing opportunities tailored for young agripreneurs, and integrating women and youth into value chains.

The workshop also highlighted the importance of leveraging technology to make agriculture more appealing to Nigeria’s younger generation.

“Today’s discussions will help us identify pathways to empower young people and women through innovative models in the pilot phase of deploying 2,000 John Deere tractors,” said Dr. Lekan Tobe, Country Director of Heifer Nigeria.

“As Federal and State Governments increase their investments in mechanization, it is critical to ensure that youth are at the center of this transformation. With collaboration and partnerships like this workshop, we can address the dual challenges of unemployment and low productivity in agriculture while enhancing food security.”

“NADF is committed to fostering collaborative frameworks that engage youth as drivers of agricultural transformation,” said Mohammed Abu Ibrahim, Executive Secretary of NADF.

“This first phase of the initiative, which aims to assemble and deploy 2,000 John Deere tractors by Q2 2025, is an opportunity to create 2,000 models of mechanization success stories. By incorporating Key Performance Indicators and listening to stakeholders today, we are building an inclusive and sustainable path to modernize Nigerian agriculture.”

The workshop’s key recommendations emphasized the need for developing tailored programs to attract and empower young people as operators, technicians, and agripreneurs within the tractorization ecosystem; ensuring gender equity in access to resources, training, and opportunities for mechanization; leveraging IoT and advanced technology for efficient tractor deployment, monitoring, and maintenance; and establishing frameworks for spare parts availability, operator training, and maintenance to ensure the longevity of investments in mechanization.

“Youth and women inclusion is essential to building a sustainable mechanization ecosystem that drives agricultural productivity in Nigeria. At Hello Tractor, we focus on breaking barriers. The approach to include youth and women not only addresses financial challenges but also empowers young entrepreneurs and women through trainings — enabling them to become key players in the mechanization value chain. By leveraging technology and creating scalable solutions for young people, we can ensure that the 10,000 Tractors Program — specifically, the 2,000 tractor pilot program — fosters opportunities for youth, builds their capacity, and strengthens the future of agriculture in Nigeria.”

Speaking on the necessity of mechanizing Nigeria’s smallholder farmers, Country Director of Hello Tractor, Dr. Nneka Enwonwu, said: “We have over 200 million people to feed, and most smallholder farmers are still using rudimentary tools. Only about 10% of farmers are mechanized. If we want to achieve food security and feed our population, we need to mechanize smallholder farmers.”

Other stakeholders at the workshop emphasized the need to strengthen collaborations between government agencies, financial institutions, and private sector actors to scale impact.

 

The workshop demonstrated the shared commitment of NADF and Heifer International Nigeria to position mechanization as a catalyst for youth empowerment and agricultural sustainability. Through these initiatives, stakeholders aim to unlock the potential of Nigeria’s young population and ensure the future of farming is vibrant, inclusive, and productive.