FG to Fund 40 Tertiary Institutions with up to N2bn Each for Commercial Farming

News in Brief:

— Nigeria has announced ₦1 billion to ₦2 billion in Bank of Agriculture financing for each of 40 tertiary institutions to support commercial farming.

— The programme aims to boost food production and create jobs for students, graduates and host communities.

The Federal Government has announced a plan to fund 40 tertiary institutions with up to ₦2 billion each to turn idle campus farmland into commercial farms. This support is meant to boost food production, research, and youth employment, and to make underutilised lands in agricultural institutions more productive.

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Mr Ikharo Attah.

Under the Renewed Hope Tertiary Agricultural and Entrepreneurship Programme, Alausa said underused farmlands in tertiary institutions would become productive agricultural hubs, targeting over 500,000 hectares for the initiative.

How the Programme Will Work

Speaking about the plan, Alausa said participating institutions are expected to provide 1,000 hectares of land each, and the Bank of Agriculture (BoA) will provide between ₦1 billion and ₦2 billion in financing per institution.

He noted that the support package will include tractors, modern seedlings, farm implements, irrigation equipment, fertilisers and technical expertise.

Alausa added that produce aggregators will buy harvested crops to reduce post-harvest losses.

According to the minister, the programme will create opportunities for students, unemployed graduates, university alumni, staff and members of host communities to participate in commercial farming.

The initiative would build on earlier interventions by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund). He added that the ministry had also added ₦20 billion to its capital budget to support 20 tertiary institutions.

He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to working with relevant agencies and institutions to ensure successful implementation.

BOA and Institutions Support the Plan

The Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture, Mr Ayo Sotinrin, said the financial institution would provide financing and market linkages to support participating institutions.

“The initiative will enable universities to contribute to food supply beyond their immediate communities while generating revenue from their agricultural investments,” Sotinrin said.

Speaking about the development, the Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Prof. Adamu Ahmed, described the initiative as a timely opportunity to translate the institution’s agricultural research and expertise into commercial production.

The Rector of Federal Polytechnic Oko, Dr Chioma Awuzie, said the programme would help the institution maximise its available land and strengthen agricultural production.

Making Agric Schools Productive

The programme is the latest in a run of moves to link agricultural training with real farm output.

In October 2026, the government unveiled 39 reviewed and new agricultural curricula and 31 National Occupational Standards in Abuja, built on an 80 per cent practical and 20 per cent theory model.

This change is significant, shifting from the earlier 70 per cent theory and 30 per cent practical approach

The curricula cover National Diploma, Higher National Diploma and National Certificate in Education programmes. It includes precision agriculture, climate-smart agriculture, artificial insemination and agribusiness, with hands-on learning in teaching farms, greenhouses and processing facilities.