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 bid to boost food security, create jobs and increase youth participation in the sector.
The collaboration was formalised on Tuesday in Abuja with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Federal Ministry of Youth Development and IITA during the launch of the Youth in Agribusiness Land Trust Fund (YALTF).
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, said the initiative aims 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 Nigeria’s youthful population remains one of the country’s greatest assets and could drive economic growth and innovation if provided with the right opportunities and enabling environment.
He explained that the programme would utilise the ministry’s network of 42 National Youth Development Centres across the country to help young people gain access to farmland.
According to him, lack of access to land has been one of the major barriers preventing youths from actively participating in agriculture.
“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,” the minister said.
He added that the newly launched Youth in Agribusiness Land Trust Fund would consolidate land resources within the centres and make them available to young Nigerians as a platform for agricultural enterprise development.
Olawande also commended IITA for its readiness to begin training more than six million youths already captured in the ministry’s database who have shown interest in agriculture.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Maryam Ismaila Keshinro, said the partnership would unlock economic opportunities for young Nigerians by expanding their access to land, digital farming tools and climate-resilient agricultural practices.
She noted that with about 70 per cent of Nigeria’s population under the age of 30, equipping youths with skills and mentorship would help strengthen food security and economic prosperity.
Also speaking, the Director-General of IITA, Simeon Ehui, said the initiative would transform the country’s youth population into a strong force for economic growth and agricultural innovation.
Ehui said the 42 Youth Development Centres would be converted into agribusiness innovation hubs where young people could acquire practical skills, launch businesses and connect with markets and investors.
According to him, the programme aims to train six million young Nigerians over the next three years and support hundreds of thousands of youth-led agribusiness enterprises across the country.
He stressed that agriculture should increasingly be seen as a sector of opportunity rather than a last resort for young people.
The partnership, he added, is expected to strengthen food security, revitalise rural communities and expand economic opportunities for millions of Nigerian youths through agribusiness development.
