The Federal Government has announced plans to provide up to N2 billion in financing each to 40 selected tertiary institutions across the country to establish commercial farms, aimed at boosting domestic food production, creating employment, and reducing public universities’ reliance on government funding.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disclosed the initiative during a strategic meeting with heads of the selected institutions and the executive management of the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) to rollout the Renewed Hope Tertiary Agricultural and Entrepreneurship Programme.
In a statement released by the Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister, Ikharo Attah, the initiative aims to mobilize over 500,000 hectares of underutilized land across universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education for commercial farming, research, and enterprise development.
Under the program, participating institutions will set up limited liability companies to partner directly with the Bank of Agriculture, which will provide funding ranging between N1 billion and N2 billion per institution.
Dr. Alausa outlined key features of the support package: Participating institutions are expected to dedicate approximately 1,000 hectares each, though smaller institutions with viable business proposals can also qualify.
The Ministry of Education has allocated N20 billion in its capital budget to support 20 institutions, alongside existing Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) interventions.
Each institution will gain access to 10 tractors at significantly reduced costs, in addition to modern seeds, irrigation pumps, fertilizers, and farm implements.
Produce aggregators will be engaged to purchase harvests directly from campus farms to mitigate post-harvest losses and ensure immediate commercial returns.
”The programme is designed to address the longstanding underutilisation of agricultural land in tertiary institutions by providing access to financing, machinery, technical expertise, and institutional support,” Alausa explained.
The minister added that students, alumni, staff, and host communities would actively participate in farming operations under expert supervision, gaining practical experience while sharing in economic returns.
The intervention comes amidst rising food insecurity across the country. According to assessments by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), an estimated 36.3 million Nigerians faced acute food insecurity during the mid-2026 lean season, exacerbated by high input costs, insecurity in farming belts, and adverse weather conditions.
Institutional leaders have warmly received the program:
Prof. Adamu Ahmed (Vice-Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria): Described the initiative as a major opportunity to scale research outputs from ABU’s Institute of Agricultural Research into commercial production.
Dr. Chioma Awuzie (Rector, Federal Polytechnic Oko): Commended President Bola Tinubu and the Ministry of Education, noting that mechanised funding would allow polytechnics to maximize unused land.
Ayo Sotinrin (MD/CEO, Bank of Agriculture): Reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to providing flexible financing and market linkages to convert academic research into viable agricultural value chains.
Dr. Alausa projected that the initiative could attract trillions of naira in private and institutional investment over the coming years, transforming Nigerian higher institutions into self-sustaining engines of agricultural innovation.
