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Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has stressed the need to equip women and young Nigerians with the skills, tools and opportunities required to participate meaningfully in modern agriculture.
According to her, empowering more Nigerians to embrace agriculture is not only important for improving livelihoods but also critical to securing the country’s food supply and building a stronger agricultural sector for the future.
The First Lady made the remarks while commending the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security for introducing the Agri360 Mechanisation Training Initiative, a programme designed to train and empower 5,000 women and young people across Nigeria.
Oluremi Tinubu described the initiative as a positive step towards opening up greater opportunities for Nigerians, particularly young people and women who are increasingly looking for sustainable ways to earn a living and contribute to the nation’s economy.
She noted that agriculture has moved beyond the traditional image of manual farming, stressing the importance of technology, mechanisation and modern skills in making the sector more productive and attractive to the younger generation.
For her, giving people access to the right tools and knowledge can make a significant difference in how agricultural activities are carried out, from cultivation and harvesting to processing and marketing.
The First Lady also emphasised the important role women play in Nigeria’s agricultural value chain. From production to processing and distribution, women remain heavily involved in food production and rural economic activities. Providing them with better equipment, training and access to opportunities, she said, could help them increase their productivity and income.
The focus on young Nigerians is equally significant as the country continues to grapple with unemployment and the need to create more sustainable economic opportunities. By exposing youths to mechanised and technology-driven agriculture, initiatives such as Agri360 could help change the perception of farming as merely subsistence work and present it as a viable business and career path.
Oluremi Tinubu’s support for the initiative comes at a time when food security remains a major concern in Nigeria. Rising food prices, production challenges, insecurity in farming communities and limited access to modern agricultural equipment have continued to put pressure on farmers and consumers.
She therefore encouraged stakeholders to continue supporting programmes that can improve agricultural productivity while creating opportunities for more Nigerians to become actively involved in the sector.
The Agri360 Mechanisation Training Initiative, with its target of reaching 5,000 women and youths, is expected to provide beneficiaries with practical exposure to modern farming methods and mechanised agricultural practices.
Beyond the immediate beneficiaries, the broader goal is to strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural workforce, encourage greater participation by young people and women, and contribute to a food system capable of meeting the needs of the country’s growing population.
The First Lady’s message is clear: if Nigeria is serious about achieving lasting food security, empowering the people at the heart of its agricultural sector cannot be treated as an afterthought. Women and young Nigerians must have access to the knowledge, equipment and opportunities that will allow them to play a bigger role in feeding the nation and shaping the future of agriculture.
