The federal government has partnered with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to launch a land trust fund for youths in agribusiness.
Speaking at the launch on Monday in Abuja, Ayodele Olawande,
minister of youth development, said the initiative will help transform 42 youth
development centres into vibrant agribusiness hubs.
Olawande also said six million youths will be trained and
empowered in agribusiness in the next three years, adding that Nigeria’s
success in agriculture is linked to access to finance, land, technical
training, modern technology, mechanisation, climate-smart solutions, value
chain integration, and reliable markets.
“Through this initiative, we aim to transform all 42 youth
development centres into vibrant agribusiness hubs, train six million young
Nigerians within the next three years, support the creation and formalisation
of at least 500,000 youth-led agribusiness enterprises, and connect young
entrepreneurs to local and international markets,” Olawande said.
The minister explained that although Nigeria’s population
comprises 60 percent under-30 youths, the inability to access land for farming
continues to hinder and discourage many young Nigerians from pursuing
agriculture.
“Despite these opportunities, one major obstacle continues
to stand in the way of many aspiring young people in agriculture, which is
access to land. For countless young Nigerians, the inability to secure
productive land remains the biggest barrier to entering and succeeding in
agriculture,” he said.
“Today, agriculture is no longer simply about farming. It is
increasingly driven by technology, innovation, entrepreneurship, and knowledge.
It offers opportunities for young people to become business owners, processors,
exporters, service providers, innovators, and leaders across entire
agricultural value chains.”
On his part, Atiku Bagudu, minister of budget and economic
planning, noted that Nigeria can increase agricultural output and exports if it
improves land management and mobilises young people into agribusiness.
Bagudu cited the Netherlands and Bangladesh as examples of
countries achieving high agricultural productivity despite limited land
resources, noting that Nigeria, despite having far greater land resources, has
not matched such levels of productivity.
“There is no part of this country that cannot compete with
the Netherlands,” Bagudu said.
“The most often cited example is the example of the
Netherlands, a country that is smaller than some Nigerian states, about 41,000
square kilometres, but yet with over 20 million people living in that land,
they do export about 130 million euros worth of agricultural produce, mostly
coming from agri businesses.”
Also, Simeon Ehui, director-general of the International
Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), said that the Agribusiness Land Trust
Fund would help address one of the biggest barriers facing young people in
agriculture and access to land.
Ehui added that the fund would mobilise land linked to the
ministry’s youth programmes through a dedicated trust mechanism for youth-led
agribusiness ventures.
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