Agricultural experts have renewed calls for African governments Nigeria in particular to scale up mechanised farming, saying it is crucial for increasing food production and creating jobs.

At the launch of the book How Africa Eats, Professors David Luke and Olawale Ogunkola stressed that modern farm machinery can raise productivity, reduce labour bottlenecks and open new employment opportunities in machine operation, maintenance and logistics. They noted that mechanisation does not eliminate jobs but shifts them toward more skilled roles.

The experts also highlighted persistent challenges limiting progress: weak policy implementation, poor access to credit due to land-tenure constraints, and inadequate funding despite AU recommendations that countries dedicate 10% of national budgets to agriculture.

Climate change was identified as a growing threat to food systems, with extreme weather already disrupting yields. Luke added that innovative farming technologies exist but remain underfunded.

Supporting the push, Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security recently announced plans to establish mechanisation service centres across all geopolitical zones to provide training and equipment support.

Experts believe that with better financing, infrastructure and skills development, mechanised farming could strengthen food security, reduce imports and open new job opportunities for young people. Visit www.jocomms.com for more news.