To bridge the manpower gap in Agricultural mechanisation, TracTrac Mechanization Services Limited (TracTrac MSL), has unveiled plans to train 36,000 Nigerian youths in mechanised agriculture over the next six months.

The program tagged the Young People in Mechanization (YPiM) initiative is aimed at engaging 1000 youths across the 36 states of the federation

Speaking at the launch in Abuja, the Chief Executive Officer of TracTrac MSL, Godson Ohuruogu who disclosed this during during a press conference in Abuja urged youths to submit their application through the YPiM registration portal.

He described YPiM as Nigeria’s first youth-focused mechanisation movement designed to equip young people aged 18 to 35 with practical skills, mentorship and opportunities in agricultural mechanisation, entrepreneurship, innovation, leadership and advocacy.

He said the initiative was created to address the shortage of skilled manpower in Nigeria’s mechanisation sector while encouraging greater youth participation in agriculture.

TracTrac CEO further called for increased private sector investment in tractor assembly, financing and mechanisation services, noting that government policies alone could not bridge the country’s huge mechanisation gap.

According to him, Nigeria requires about 250,000 tractors over the next five years to achieve meaningful agricultural mechanisation, a target that cannot be met by government intervention alone.

“The solution lies in attracting private investment into the mechanisation ecosystem. Government can only do so much; the private sector must drive the rest,” he said.

Ohuruogu disclosed that TracTrac was working to attract four to five tractor assembly plants into Nigeria to increase the availability of tractors and reduce dependence on imports.

He also announced plans to train about 3,000 tractor operators next year, saying the shortage of skilled operators and mechanics remains one of the biggest constraints to mechanised farming.

According to him, poorly trained operators often damage tractors within a short period, while the lack of spare parts for imported equipment also limits productivity.

He said TracTrac was partnering with a Nigerian manufacturer to deploy 565 locally assembled tractors in a pilot programme across two states, adding that local manufacturing would improve access to spare parts and maintenance services.

On tractor deployment, Ohuruogu said machine capacity should match the soil type in different parts of the country, explaining that southern states require higher-horsepower tractors because of their more compact soils, while lower-capacity machines are suitable for many northern areas.

He stressed the importance of promoting smaller and more affordable tractors, saying they would enable more smallholder farmers to adopt mechanisation.

Ohuruogu revealed that TracTrac contributed to the development of Nigeria’s draft National Agricultural Mechanization Policy, which seeks to promote sustainable mechanisation through private-sector investment, local manufacturing, climate-smart agriculture and human capital development.

He said the company has so far reached over 500,000 farmers, supported more than 6,000 Mechanization Service Providers, deployed 800 tractors across several states and facilitated over 2,000 mechanisation service engagements through its digital platform, TracTrac Plus