The Federal Government has partnered with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to train more than six million Nigerian youths in agriculture and agribusiness, in a move aimed at creating jobs, boosting food production and helping young people build sustainable businesses across the country.
The collaboration was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Federal Ministry of Youth Development and IITA during the launch of the Youth in Agribusiness Land Trust Fund (YALTF) in Abuja.
The initiative is designed to equip young Nigerians with modern agricultural knowledge, practical skills and exposure to agribusiness opportunities across the agricultural value chain.
Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, said the programme represents a major step toward empowering young people to participate actively in Nigeria’s agricultural transformation.
According to him, the partnership will provide youths with access to training, mentorship and resources needed to establish viable agribusiness ventures.
“This initiative is designed to equip young Nigerians with modern agricultural knowledge, exposure to value-chain opportunities and climate-smart farming practices needed to build sustainable agribusinesses,” Olawande said.
He noted that Nigeria’s large youth population represents one of the country’s greatest strengths if properly supported with opportunities and an enabling environment.
Olawande explained that the programme would leverage the ministry’s network of 42 National Youth Development Centres across the country to support training activities and provide access to land for participants interested in agricultural ventures.
According to him, limited access to farmland has remained one of the biggest barriers preventing many young people from entering the agricultural sector.
“By building on the network of our 42 National Youth Development Centres to facilitate land access across the country, we have achieved a practical and sustainable solution,” he said.
Through the newly launched Youth in Agribusiness Land Trust Fund, land resources within the centres will be consolidated and made available to young Nigerians as platforms for agricultural enterprise development.
The minister also revealed that more than six million youths already captured in the ministry’s database have expressed interest in agriculture and agribusiness opportunities.
He commended IITA for developing an innovative framework to support the training programme and for its readiness to begin implementation.
“I commend IITA for its innovative framework and readiness to commence training for more than six million youths already captured in the ministry’s database,” Olawande added.
Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Maryam Ismaila Keshinro, said the partnership aims to unlock economic opportunities for Nigerian youths by improving their access to land, digital farming tools and climate-resilient agricultural practices.
She stressed that empowering young people with skills, mentorship and modern technology will help drive food security and economic growth in the country.
“With about 70 per cent of Nigeria’s population under the age of 30, empowering young people with skills and mentorship will help drive food security and economic prosperity,” Keshinro said.
Director-General of IITA, Simeon Ehui, described the partnership as a strategic effort to transform Nigeria’s youth population into a major force for agricultural innovation and economic development.
He explained that under the programme, the 42 Youth Development Centres would be repurposed into agribusiness innovation hubs where young people can gain practical training, launch agricultural enterprises and connect with markets and investors.
Ehui noted that the programme is expected to run over the next three years, with a target of training six million youths while incubating hundreds of thousands of youth-led agribusiness enterprises across the country.
“Agriculture must increasingly be seen as a sector of opportunity rather than a last resort for young people,” he said.
According to him, the initiative highlights the importance of collaboration among government institutions, research organisations, development partners and the private sector in addressing youth unemployment and strengthening Nigeria’s agricultural economy.
Ehui said the partnership will help strengthen food security, revitalise rural communities and expand economic opportunities for millions of young Nigerians through agribusiness development.
