The Federal Government is set to establish mechanised commercial farms and livestock ventures in ten universities across Nigeria as part of the 2025 intervention program by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
The initiative, announced during the inauguration of the Agricultural Commercial Farms Evaluation Committee, aims to enhance agricultural productivity, promote innovation, and strengthen food security through practical education.
Chairman of the TETFund Board of Trustees, Aminu Masari, who inaugurated the five-member committee in Abuja, said the project is intended to integrate modern agricultural technologies into Nigeria’s university system. He emphasised that selected institutions must meet defined eligibility criteria, including ownership of a minimum of 50 hectares of unencumbered land and the operation of a functional commercial farm tied to at least one agricultural value chain.
He further explained that universities considered must either be specialised agriculture-focused institutions or possess a strong Faculty of Agriculture to qualify for inclusion in the pilot phase.
“Out of the several institutions that have submitted their Expressions of Interest, only ten will benefit in this initial phase,” Masari stated, adding that the evaluation committee will ensure transparency and objectivity in the selection process.
He stressed the importance of agriculture to Nigeria’s socio-economic development, noting its potential to reduce poverty, create employment, and drive inclusive growth. He also called attention to the role of modern tools such as automation, precision farming, and data analytics in transforming agriculture, urging Nigerian institutions to adopt these practices for improved output.
Masari highlighted that TETFund has already made substantial investments in the sector, with eight of its 27 Centres of Excellence dedicated to agricultural research. Additionally, the Fund is financing agricultural research laboratories and demonstration farms in six universities to promote technology-driven training in crop and animal production.
The newly formed Evaluation Committee is chaired by Mr. Ewara Bassey, Director of the Federal Department of Agriculture under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. Its membership includes representatives from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Livestock Development, National Universities Commission, Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, and TETFund’s Research & Development/Centres of Excellence Department.
The committee has been tasked with reviewing submissions from interested universities, developing evaluation templates, scoring proposals, and making recommendations that reflect Nigeria’s diverse geopolitical spread. A two-week deadline has been set for the submission of its final report.
Masari described the initiative as a strategic step towards national agricultural transformation and expressed confidence in the committee’s capacity to deliver.
In his response, the committee chairman, Mr. Bassey, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve and affirmed the team’s commitment to professionalism and results.
“We consider this a national assignment and will work diligently to ensure our recommendations help lay the foundation for a sustainable, impactful agricultural future,” Bassey said.
