The Federal Government in partnership with the Leonard and Nkiruka Okonkwo Foundation (LANOF) and with support from the Heinrich Boll Foundation has launched the Revised National Youth Manifesto in Agric, Youth in Agribusiness Call to Action 2025.
The initiative is designed to raise a new generation of transformation leaders in agribusiness.
The launch took place in Abuja on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, and aims to mobilise support for the implementation of the manifesto and the call to action across the country.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, said, “The programme is anchored on national frameworks such as the National Agriculture Technology and Innovation Policy, NATIP 2022-2027 and the Revised National Gender Policy in Agriculture for Nigeria and its strategic Plan of Action (2025-2030) among others.”
He explained that the strategy will institutionalise the Nigeria Youth in Agribusiness Forum (NYAF) initiative and provide a structured mechanism for implementing the call for action nationwide.
The minister added that the ministry is committed to working with LANOF and partners to develop the African Agribusiness Youth Strategy (AAYS).
Kyari described the launch as a call to duty for the ministry, stressing that all stakeholders are determined to translate the call to action into policies, investments, and opportunities that will promote agribusiness, youth empowerment, and food security.
Earlier in his welcome address, Leonard Okonkwo, co-founder of LANOF, said that through the Youth Farm (Y-Farm) Project, the foundation had developed and launched the first National Youth Manifesto in Agriculture for Nigeria in 2017.
He added, “The revised edition of the manifesto was anchored on the real aspirations and lived experiences of Nigerian youths across the six geopolitical zones.”
“The strength of the manifesto lies in its co-creation by the youth and for the youth,” he noted.
Nkiruka Okonkwo, co-founder of LANOF, stated that the Revised Manifesto and the Nigerian Youth in Agribusiness Call to Action 2025 presents a bold youth-led and youth-focused strategy to transform agriculture into an inclusive and dynamic sector. She highlighted that the manifesto is built around eight interconnected priorities, including agroecology, climate resilience, access to land, productive inputs, and youth capacity development.
She said, “The manifesto integrates insights into clear demands and commitments. It is both a policy advocacy tool and a youth empowerment mechanism for building a resilient, inclusive, and future-focused food system in Nigeria.”
In her remarks, Kachalla Damaturu, director at the Ministry of Special Duties, noted that the manifesto comes at a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s journey towards food security, climate resilience, and economic transformation.