Nigeria to adopt Ethiopia’s mechanised farming model to boost food security

Nigeria plans to adopt Ethiopia’s large-scale mechanised farming model to boost agricultural productivity, achieve food self-sufficiency and position the sector as a major driver of economic growth.

Vice President Kashim Shettima disclosed this during the Ethiopia–Nigeria Leadership Exchange, where he led a Nigerian delegation on a tour of farms and agricultural facilities in Ethiopia’s Oromia region.
Shettima said Nigeria intends to draw lessons from Ethiopia’s agricultural transformation, particularly its use of improved seeds, mechanisation and climate-smart farming practices.

Ethiopia generates more than $3.1 billion annually from wheat
Ethiopia has moved from importing about $1 billion worth of wheat annually to achieving self-sufficiency and generating more than $3.1 billion a year from wheat.
The country has also begun exporting surplus wheat to neighbouring countries, including Djibouti and Kenya, while making significant progress towards self-sufficiency in rice production.

Shettima said Nigeria was pursuing a similar transformation through investments in agricultural infrastructure aimed at addressing supply chain gaps and logistical bottlenecks, reducing risks for agribusinesses and attracting private investment.
“We intend to embrace improved seeds, mechanisation, and climate-smart agriculture,” he said.
He described Ethiopia’s Oromia agricultural model as a potential blueprint for Nigeria and other African countries seeking to expand food production, reduce import dependence and strengthen food security.

Food dependency compromises sovereignty
Shettima warned that excessive dependence on imported food could undermine national sovereignty, arguing that domestic production is essential to long-term economic independence.

“Food dependency compromises our sovereignty. Without independence in food production, a nation remains incomplete in its sovereignty,” he said.
He said Nigeria was determined to achieve food sovereignty through mechanisation, high-yield seeds, climate-smart agriculture and modern farming practices.
The vice president also called for closer agricultural cooperation between Nigeria and Ethiopia, noting that both countries could leverage their resources and experience to improve food production across the continent.

“I am overwhelmed with joy that the real economic renaissance of Africa is in the offing. Ethiopia has become the pathfinder, the front runner in us reclaiming our pride and our continent. We are mightily proud of them.
“Africa must learn to feed itself. Ethiopia is doing it and Nigeria is on course to do the same. Ethiopia is a success story worthy of emulation,” he said.
Nigeria targets 20 billion trees
Shettima also announced plans for a nationwide tree-planting campaign targeting 20 billion trees during the next rainy season, drawing inspiration from Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative.

The programme is expected to support environmental restoration while creating jobs and improving livelihoods.

According to the vice president, Nigeria will need extensive planning and public participation to implement the initiative successfully.

“We will embark on a massive tree-planting campaign in the next rainy season. It requires a lot of planning, energy and drive, which Ethiopia was able to galvanize its population into doing. We intend to plant 20 billion trees,” he said.
Shettima also highlighted the potential economic impact of stronger cooperation between the two countries, pointing to their combined population of more than 400 million people.

“With a population of 100 million people, and a combined population with Nigeria of over 400 million, Ethiopia’s success will reverberate across the length and breadth of East and Southern Africa,” he said.
Oromia highlights agricultural gains
President of the Oromia Regional State, Shimelis Abdisa, outlined Ethiopia’s agricultural achievements, highlighting the country’s crop diversity and growing exports of agricultural commodities.

Abdisa said Ethiopia produces more than 200 crop varieties and has expanded exports of products such as bananas, avocados and coffee.

He also highlighted the economic importance of wheat production, which he said generates more than $3.1 billion annually.

Abdisa disclosed that the region was collaborating with the Dangote Group to produce fertiliser for local farmers, while also expanding its poultry industry beyond its initial capacity of two million birds.

The developments underscore Ethiopia’s efforts to integrate agricultural production, processing and exports into a broader industrial growth strategy.
Domestic wheat production
Nigeria has also recorded an increase in domestic wheat production following the implementation of the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP).

The Federal Government said annual wheat production rose from about 120,000 metric tonnes to 420,000 metric tonnes, representing a 250% increase from the reported baseline.

The government’s efforts to expand domestic wheat production form part of a broader strategy to reduce reliance on imports, strengthen food security and improve the resilience of the agricultural sector.

Nigeria’s proposed adoption of lessons from Ethiopia comes as the government seeks to scale up mechanised farming, improve agricultural supply chains and attract investment into commercial food production.