The Federal Government has said it is planning to establish mechanised commercial farms and livestock operations in 10 universities.
The project will be handled under the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) 2025 intervention.
The Chairman of TETFund Board of Trustees (BoT), Aminu Masari, announced this while inaugurating the agency’s five-member Committee on Agricultural Commercial Farms Evaluation.
Masari said the beneficiary institutions must meet specific criteria.
The BoT chairman explained that one of the criteria is having at least 50 hectares of unencumbered land and operating a functional commercial farm with at least one agricultural value chain.
Read Also: FG targets food sufficiency through Public-Private Partnership – Idris
He added that the institutions must be a University of Agriculture or have a robust Faculty of Agriculture.
Masari said that under this year’s intervention initiative, the 10 universities would be supported to establish mechanised commercial farms and livestock operations in the first phase of the programme.
“Most of the institutions have submitted their Expressions of Interest, and it became necessary to constitute this committee to ensure objectivity and transparency in the selection process,” he said.
According to him, agriculture remains a cornerstone in Nigeria’s socio-economic development, offering not just food security but also opportunities for poverty reduction, employment creation, and national prosperity.
Masari emphasised the importance of modern agricultural technologies, such as automation, precision farming, and data analytics, which have transformed agriculture in developed economies and can do the same in Nigeria, if properly harnessed.
The BoT chairman hailed the committee members for their patriotism and commitment to national service, stressing that their presence at the event on short notice reflected their dedication to national development.
“Agriculture provides food security, generates income, and contributes to economic growth, especially in developing countries like ours. By promoting agricultural development, we are also promoting inclusive growth and reducing the urban-rural divide,” he said.
Masari noted that, historically, agriculture had been Nigeria’s economic mainstay before the oil boom, and continues to contribute significantly to the gross domestic product (GDP).
The TETFund BoT chairman said eight of the fund’s 27 Centres of Excellence focused on agriculture, adding that the agency was funding the establishment of Agricultural Research Laboratories and Demonstration Farms in six universities to improve crop and animal production through technology-driven research and training.
The Evaluation Committee, which is chaired by the Director of Federal Department of Agriculture in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Ewara Bassey, comprises representatives from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Livestock Development, National Universities Commission (NUC), Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, and TETFund’s Research & Development/Centres of Excellence Department, Secretary.
Masari outlined the committee’s terms of reference, which include assessing submissions, developing evaluation templates, scoring performance, and recommending qualified institutions across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones.
“The constitution and composition of this committee underscore the importance we place on this project. You are expected to work as a team and deliver professionally,” he said, giving the committee a two-week deadline to submit its report.