Across the first three weeks of April 2019, TOHFAN — in partnership with development partner Propcom Mai-karfi — took its booking and hiring agent training programme to eight Northern states: Taraba, Adamawa, Gombe, Bauchi, Yobe, Jigawa, Kano and Kaduna. In total, 259 agents completed the training.
The sessions in each state took agents through the full tractor-hiring value chain, from communication and community research to financial analysis, demand aggregation and tractor deployment planning. Every participant received a training manual, a comprehensive field data sheet, a reflective jacket and promotional materials to begin work immediately.
Women's participation reached a new high. Female agents rose from 20 in 2018 to 51 in 2019, from 12% to 20% of all agents trained — a deliberate result of TOHFAN's push to bring rural women into a mechanisation value chain long dominated by men.
The tour also renewed TOHFAN's ties with traditional leaders. Emirs and district heads across the region welcomed the team and pledged their support, with several noting that agent roles offer young people a productive alternative and a genuine path to economic engagement.
The overall network of booking and hiring agents grew from 170 in 2018 to 250 in 2019. The clearest message from the field remained constant: demand for tractors continues to outstrip supply — underscoring TOHFAN's drive to keep expanding its fleet.
