The Executive Secretary of the National Agricultural Development Fund, NADF, Mohammed Ibrahim, has suggested for a stronger focus on skills acquisition in the Agri-Tech sector to enhance agriculture and create employment opportunities for youths in Nigeria.
Ibrahim explained the importance of combining agricultural knowledge with emerging technologies to equip the nation’s youth for the future workforce and address food security challenges, saying that the vast opportunities available to Nigerian youth in agriculture, particularly in the growing Agri-Tech sector, an area where technology and agriculture intersect.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ roundtable on Nigerian Youth Development, organized by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation in Abuja, he stated that while technological advancements in agriculture are rapidly evolving, the sector has not fully leveraged these innovations.
According to him, “The major opportunity for the youth within the agricultural setting lies within the nexus of technology and agriculture, often referred to as Agri-Tech,” Ibrahim stated. “While technology continues to advance rapidly, Agri-Tech is yet to be fully explored and maximized.”
The NADF Executive Secretary explained that the NADF is working to bridge the gap by developing frameworks for agricultural skills training that align with global standards, while drawing from his own experience in the sector.
Ibrahim said that part of the effort involves a partnership between NADF and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to implement a National Agricultural Technical, Vocational, and Educational Training Programme, adding that t initiative is designed to address the skills gap in the agricultural sector, focusing on critical areas such as soil science, veterinary medicine, and digital mapping—skills essential for modern farming.
He noted that the NADF is working closely with various stakeholders, including the NBTE, to implement a more robust training program that will equip youth with the right skills.
He said that the NADF would roll out a pilot scheme across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, saying that the initiative will span six days and focus on agricultural skills tailored to each region’s specific agroecological needs.
Ibrahim highlighted the importance of NADF’s efforts to balance commercial and social funding models, stressing that the approach aims to ease the financial burden on smallholder farmers and youth entrepreneurs, ultimately fostering sustainable agricultural growth and job creation.