A youth-driven agricultural mechanization program is set to deepen its impact in Kaduna and Nasarawa States following the deployment of 282 three-wheeled tractors aimed at equipping young entrepreneurs with practical skills, expanding mechanized farming services, and improving the productivity of smallholder farmers.
The initiative, known as the Improving Smallholder Farmers’ Access to Small-Scale Agricultural Mechanization Services (ISSAM) program, is being implemented by TracTrac Mechanization Services Limited in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation.
The latest phase of the program involves the deployment of an additional 128 three-wheeled tractors after the successful rollout of 154 tractors in 2025, bringing the total number of tractors under the initiative to 282.
According to the organizers, the program is transforming rural communities by enabling young people to establish sustainable mechanization enterprises while providing affordable mechanized services to smallholder farmers who previously relied on labor-intensive farming methods.
Since its inception, the ISSAM program has established 282 youth-led cooperatives comprising 1,974 trained Mechanization Service Providers (MSPs). The cooperatives have already provided mechanized farming services to more than 2,000 smallholder farmers, improving timely land preparation, cultivation, and overall farm productivity.
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The program differs from conventional equipment distribution schemes by combining technical training, business development support, and access to mechanization assets, allowing beneficiaries to build viable agribusinesses capable of serving farming communities beyond the project’s lifespan.
Under the latest deployment, the tractors will be allocated to youth-led mechanization service provider cooperatives in Kokona, Akwanga, and Wamba Local Government Areas of Nasarawa State, as well as Kachia, Igabi, Soba, Lere, Chikun, and Zaria Local Government Areas of Kaduna State.
Each three-wheeled tractor is fitted with a disc plow, harrow, planter, and trailer bucket, enabling trained operators to offer affordable mechanized services throughout the farming season. The equipment is expected to reduce delays in land preparation, increase cultivated farmland, and create sustainable sources of income for cooperative members.
Chief Executive Officer of TracTrac Mechanization Services Limited, Godson Ohuruogu, said the program was designed to create long-term economic opportunities for young people while strengthening Nigeria’s agricultural value chain.
“This is about creating opportunity at scale. Every tractor represents a business that can generate income for young people while helping hundreds of farmers access timely, affordable mechanization.
“We’re not simply deploying equipment; we’re building a sustainable ecosystem that strengthens food security, rural economies and long-term agricultural resilience,” he said.
Ohuruogu noted that by placing mechanisation assets directly in the hands of trained youth cooperatives, the programme was helping to build profitable rural enterprises capable of supporting food production and economic development.
A beneficiary, Lovina James from Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area, said the training had given her a new livelihood and encouraged more women to participate in agricultural mechanisation.
“Before this programme, I never imagined I could have a skill that would change my future. Today, I have a skill that allows me to earn an income, support my family and inspire other women in my community to believe they belong in agricultural mechanization too,” she said.
The District Head of Brum Brum in Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area, His Royal Highness Sir Bala Averson (JP), also praised the programme for delivering measurable benefits to rural communities.
“Many organisations visit our communities with promises. TracTrac came back with results. Today, our young people have opportunities, our farmers have better access to mechanization, and our communities can see the difference. This is the kind of partnership that creates lasting impact,” he said.
The organisers said the expanded deployment is expected to stimulate rural economies, promote the inclusion of women and persons with disabilities in agribusiness, and provide a scalable model for inclusive agricultural transformation in Nigeria.
TracTrac said it has deployed more than 800 tractors across Nigeria, supported over 500,000 farmers and partnered with more than 6,000 Mechanization Service Providers to improve access to mechanised farming services through technology, innovative financing and strategic partnerships.
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