Nigeria: Food Security - Govt Urges Technology Transfer, Financing of Agricultural Mechanisation

What the report says

Nigeria’s federal government is urging development partners and investors to help accelerate agricultural mechanisation as part of a broader push for food security. According to Leadership, the appeal was made in Abuja at the Farm Food and Allied Technology Expo (FARMFATECH) 2026, where Agriculture and Food Security Minister Abubakar Kyari was represented by permanent secretary Marcus Ogunbiyi.

The government called for deeper cooperation with institutions including FAO, the African Development Bank, IFAD and the World Bank on technology transfer, technical training, de-risking of investment and financing for farm machinery. Officials said Nigeria’s large arable land base and growing population make tractors, harvesters, irrigation systems, processing equipment and storage technologies increasingly important. The ministry also invited private firms to consider joint ventures, public-private partnerships, local assembly, leasing models and mechanisation service centres.

The article says the ministry wants machines and related services treated as productive assets that can raise output, cut costs and reduce post-harvest losses. It also highlighted plans to expand cold-chain systems, rural agro-processing and storage facilities, with the aim of linking production, processing and markets more efficiently. The National Agricultural Technological and Innovation Policy for 2022-2027 was cited as a framework supporting rapid mechanisation, innovation and agricultural financing.

More broadly, the report frames mechanisation as central to Nigeria’s food and nutrition security goals, as well as job creation, rural development and agribusiness growth. It adds that the expo is intended to move beyond exhibition toward actual investment, partnerships and equipment deployment. In general, mechanisation and value-chain development are widely seen as key tools for improving agricultural productivity across Africa, though the article focuses on Nigeria’s current policy push.