Bayero University, Kano (BUK), has received agricultural mechanization equipment worth N40 million from the Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN) under it’s ICON-2 project, to enhance practical agribusiness training for students under the Skills Improvement to Boost Livelihood and Nurture Growth (SIBLING) Initiative.
The donation, facilitated through the university’s Centre for Dryland Agriculture (CDA) and the Faculty of Agriculture, is aimed at equipping students with hands-on skills in modern, commercial agriculture while promoting entrepreneurship, job creation and food security.
The equipment, presented during a ceremony attended by university officials, students and farmer groups, includes a 40-horsepower tractor valued at N30.5 million with ploughing, harrowing and ridging implements, power tillers, fertilizer applicators, two tricycle carriers, solar-powered knapsack sprayers with protective clothing kits, as well as rice and maize shellers and rice cutters.
Presenting the equipment, WOFAN Group Executive Board Chair, Dr. Salamatu Garba, said practical exposure is essential for preparing students to thrive in Nigeria’s evolving agricultural sector.
“We are sending this with love and respect so that you will use it to improve your practical knowledge and prepare yourselves to become dignified agripreneurs and employers of labour,” she said.
Dr. Garba explained that beyond reducing labour and improving productivity, the equipment would enable students to generate income by providing mechanization services to surrounding farming communities during their free periods.
The donation follows an earlier intervention by WOFAN, which provided N28 million worth of agricultural inputs to support the pioneer beneficiaries of the 2026 wet season farming under the SIBLING project.
Representing the Vice-Chancellor of BUK, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Academic), Professor Amina Mustapha, described the intervention as a major contribution to the university’s vision of producing graduates with practical skills and entrepreneurial capacity.
She expressed appreciation to WOFAN and assured the organisation that the equipment would be properly maintained and effectively utilized.
Chairman of WOFAN’s Technical Board of Advisers, Professor Sani Miko, urged the students to demonstrate commitment and dedication in maximizing the opportunity.
“Everything we are doing is for your benefit. Your passion and commitment will determine how this project transforms your careers and contributes to the future of agriculture in Nigeria,” he said.
The President of the Nigerian Association of Agricultural Students (NAAS), BUK Chapter, Umar Kabir Bello, commended WOFAN, the Centre for Dryland Agriculture, the Faculty of Agriculture, the university management and other partners for the support.
He said the equipment would significantly improve practical learning and expose students to modern agricultural technologies, assuring that it would be used responsibly to ensure the success of the SIBLING Initiative.
The SIBLING Initiative is designed to bridge the gap between classroom learning and industry practice by promoting collaboration between academia and the agricultural sector, while preparing students for careers in commercial agribusiness.