The federal government has commended the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) for strengthening Nigeria’s agricultural mechanisation drive through skills development.

Abubakar Kyari, the minister of agriculture and food security, gave the commendation on the sidelines of the 2026 Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) in Rwanda.

A statement on Thursday said the forum focused on sustainable agricultural mechanisation and building resilient food systems across Africa.

Mr Kyari said NADF had trained 4,000 tractor operators and mechanics to provide the skilled workforce needed to operate, maintain and sustain agricultural machinery deployed nationwide.

He said the government was deploying 2,000 tractors, more than 9,000 agricultural implements and spare parts through a service-provider model.

According to him, the model is designed to expand farmers’ access to mechanisation while promoting efficiency, sustainability and proper management of agricultural assets.

Mr Kyari said training operators and mechanics was critical to ensuring the government’s mechanisation programme translated into higher productivity, more jobs and improved food security. He said sustainable mechanisation could not be achieved through equipment procurement and distribution alone.

The minister identified financing, equipment utilisation, maintenance systems, skilled workforce and accountability as essential to sustaining the programme.

“Our shared objective is not simply to put more tractors on the field but to build a sustainable system of finance, utilisation, maintenance, skills and accountability around them,” he said.

Mr Kyari said the government was also investing in irrigation, dry-season farming, climate-smart agriculture and soil health to boost food production and strengthen resilience. He added that support was being provided to displaced farmers returning to agricultural production.

The minister called for increased private-sector investment and stronger partnerships across the agricultural value chain. He said government must create an enabling environment for capital to flow into production, processing, technology, logistics and markets.

Mr Kyari said Nigeria’s growing population should be seen not only as a food-security challenge but also as an economic opportunity. He cited the country’s youthful workforce, expanding domestic market and vast agricultural potential as key drivers of that opportunity.

He said unlocking the potential would require closer alignment of public investment, private capital, technology, infrastructure and human capacity.

“Building a resilient and competitive food system ultimately requires bringing land, water, technology, finance and markets together within a coordinated framework capable of withstanding shocks, raising productivity and delivering sustainable prosperity,” Mr Kyari said.

(NAN)