The Federal Government has pledged its support for the scale-up of the Agribusiness Hub initiative, an intervention designed to create sustainable employment for at least 30,000 youths across the country. The initiative is led by the International Fund for Agricultural Development in partnership with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the Visa Foundation. It aims to transform Nigeria’s agrifood systems by strengthening skills development, enterprise creation, and market integration for young people.
The Director, Federal Department of Development Partners Projects, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Iluromi Adebola, made the pledge during the Agribusiness Hubs Development Partners Roundtable organised by IITA in Abuja. The event brought together development agencies, financiers, government institutions, embassies, and private sector actors who are seeking new ways to unlock opportunities for young Nigerians across the agricultural value chain.
Adebola noted that the government’s presence at the forum reflects a shared commitment to youth empowerment and national food security. She said the Agribusiness Hub model is more than a single project, explaining that it serves as a transformative ecosystem that connects young people to training, jobs, and enterprise support across various agricultural segments.
She stressed that unemployment, limited education, and rural insecurity continue to pose challenges for the country, adding that this “reality underscores an urgent need to ensure that young people, especially in the rural areas, are empowered with the skills, finance and methods to thrive.”
She highlighted the impact of the current phase of the initiative, saying, “Here in Nigeria, the AgriHub initiative implemented by IITA is demonstrating the power of partnership and innovation through structured hubs, job fairs, hands-on training and strong links with agribusinesses. Our youths have been prepared for employment in priority value chains such as rice, cassava, tomato, groundnuts and so on.”
She also said the government is pleased that the planned scale-up will prioritise fragile and conflict-affected areas, helping reduce migration pressures, supporting peacebuilding, and strengthening local economies through agribusiness opportunities.
Adebola added that the Agribusiness Hub initiative directly supports the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, especially in the drive toward achieving national food security. She explained that the next phase would ensure young agripreneurs can access markets, finance, and technical skills needed to grow their income and contribute to local development.
Speaking at the event, IFAD Nigeria Country Director, Dede Ekoue, outlined the achievements recorded during the first phase of the initiative. She said the programme has proven what strategic investments in young people can achieve, noting that it generated more than 5,600 direct jobs and 1,300 indirect jobs in both rural and semi-urban communities. According to her, the project surpassed its targets by 174 per cent for enterprise creation and 163 per cent for employment in agribusiness and related sectors.
Ekoue added that the pilot phase attracted over 7,000 youths, encouraging partners to plan a larger rollout. She listed the nine states of the Niger Delta, along with Benue, Enugu and Anambra, as areas to be covered in the scale-up, with additional plans to extend activities to the North-East and North-West. She also stated that the expanded phase aims to reach at least 30,000 youths nationwide.
She maintained that investing in rural youth remains essential for economic growth, peace, stability and the long-term future of the nation. “The scale-up of the Agribusiness Hub is a game-changer for Nigeria’s rural youth. It provides structured pathways from training to enterprise, supports green economic growth, and strengthens resilience in fragile areas. It positions young Nigerians as leaders of inclusive rural transformation and green economic growth through entrepreneurship and employability,” she said.
Agribusiness Hub Nigeria Project Coordinator at IITA, Adesanya Omotomiwa, described the roundtable as a platform to mobilise resources for the next implementation phase. He explained that the initiative does not only place youths in jobs but also encourages them to start their own agribusinesses, with at least 30 per cent of beneficiaries expected to become entrepreneurs who can employ others.
Omotomiwa said the programme operates in stages, where beneficiaries either move into employment opportunities or receive support to establish their own ventures after completing their training. “In the first phase, we impacted over 7,000 youths. With the lessons learned, we aim to double or even triple that number in the next phase, reaching at least 30,000 young Nigerians. There is no ceiling; the only limitation is the resources we can mobilise,” he added.
