The former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and IITA’s goodwill Ambassador, His Excellency Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has reiterated his commitment to work with IITA to expand the youth in agribusiness initiatives. Chief Obasanjo stated this during IITA’s visit to his office in Abeokuta as a follow-up on the recommended action points during his participation at the Agribusiness Investment forum organized in June 2023.   Highlighting the issues, Chief Obasanjo mentioned that society glamorizes trivial matters while the value of agriculture is overlooked. He stressed the urgent need to provide compelling reasons for young people to embrace agribusiness. This encompasses showcasing the advantages of modern equipment, efficient production, and cutting-edge technology. He emphasized that it is crucial to view agriculture as a business rather than a development concern. To achieve this, he suggested that IITA should organize a workshop involving high-level stakeholders and youth representatives in view of setting […]

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), in partnership with the Dutch government, has launched the Youth in Agribusiness: Enabling Scaling of Innovative Technologies for Sustainable Food (YAS). This project is in line with the Dutch government’s agricultural priorities and the multi-annual country strategy (MACS) to assist Nigeria in diversifying its economic growth and job creation via a sustainable and inclusive agri-food sector. The project contributes to the Netherlands government’s strategy for sustainable food systems and nutrition security and reaches SDG2 by 2030. YAS will provide opportunities for 10,000 Nigerian youths in three states and the Federal Capital Territory. The project targets youth between the ages of 18-35 years on existing technologies, sector-specific business development, and climate-smart agricultural innovations. The project enables young people to set up their full-scale production and service facilities that address the unemployment of youth, meet the most urgent needs of farmers, and contribute to the […]

As a result of the ENABLE TAAT project’s intervention in Uganda, youth and farmers have gained valuable entrepreneurial skills, networked with industry experts, and also established farmers to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing. The project has registered thirty-five businesses, which were established in Mbarara, Kyotera, Ibanda, and Mukono, and are focused on dairy production, goat fattening, swine production, poultry production, seed bulking, and crop production. Due to the establishment of these businesses, at least thirty young people became gainfully employed across these locations. Moreover, they contribute to the local economy by increasing agricultural productivity and diversifying the region’s agricultural sector. Additionally, the Enable TAAT team continues to provide support and mentorship to these new agribusiness ventures, ensuring their long-term success and sustainability. Interestingly, one of the youths, Kalyango Achilles, received a grant of $1,385.00 from a Danish Foundation to promote his organic fertilizer company, Maxima Organic Fertiliser Products. Kalyango’s grant […]