Tinubu’s Agricultural Reforms Yield 60,000 Jobs, Says NOA.
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has announced that President Bola Tinubu’s agricultural interventions have generated over 60,000 jobs across Nigeria, marking a significant milestone in the nation’s push for food security and economic growth. The agency’s director-general, Lanre Issa-Onilu, hailed the initiatives as a cornerstone of the Renewed Hope Agenda, crediting them with transforming rural economies and empowering farmers.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Issa-Onilu highlighted the impact of programmes such as the Dry Season Farming Initiative, which cultivated 118,657 hectares of wheat across 15 states, supporting 107,429 farmers and producing 474,628 metric tonnes of wheat. The initiative, backed by over N309 billion in investments, has boosted productivity and created employment opportunities, particularly for young people and women in rural areas. Additional efforts include the distribution of 60,000 metric tonnes of improved seeds, 887,255 metric tonnes of seedlings, and 501,726 litres of agrochemicals to combat food inflation.
The NOA also praised the launch of the Renewed Hope Agricultural Mechanisation Programme, which saw President Tinubu commission 2,000 tractors and over 9,000 farming implements on 23 June 2025. This ambitious scheme, supported by a partnership with Belarus, aims to cultivate 550,000 hectares of farmland, produce two million metric tonnes of staple crops, and create 16,000 additional jobs. The programme includes GPS-enabled tracking, operator training, and financing through non-interest banks to ensure transparency and sustainability.
Issa-Onilu noted that these interventions align with Tinubu’s 2023 declaration of a state of emergency on food security, which prioritised mechanisation and year-round farming. The NOA boss urged state governments and local communities to sustain this momentum by investing in agriculture and protecting farmlands from insecurity. He also highlighted the administration’s efforts to stabilise food prices, with 42,000 metric tonnes of food commodities released from strategic reserves and 58,500 metric tonnes of milled rice distributed nationwide.
The NOA’s announcement underscores the transformative potential of Tinubu’s agricultural policies, which aim to position Nigeria as a global agricultural powerhouse by 2025. With ongoing support for smallholder farmers and agro-processing zones, the government is laying the foundation for a resilient, self-sufficient agricultural sector that promises to drive economic prosperity for millions of Nigerians.