IYA

In its bid to enhance agricultural productivity, increase job creation, improve the livelihoods of youths, and contribute to food security in Nigeria, the IITA Youth in Agribusiness (YAS) project has donated farm input and machines to participants of the project in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The YAS project, supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Nigeria, donated the items to 135 participants trained in aquaculture, poultry, horticulture, and other commodities. These participants were selected based on their interest in agriculture, commitment to the project, and potential for growth in their chosen value chains. They have all undergone comprehensive training and are now ready to start or scale their businesses.

The items donated to the farmers include fish feed, fingerlings, tarpaulin collapsible ponds, a smoking kiln, poultry feed, a full irrigation kit, water tanks, fertilizer, chicken de-feathering machines, and other items.

Emphasizing the project’s mission to empower women and youth in agriculture, YAS team lead Aline Mugisho underlined that the input support resulted from the training, business development, and ongoing mentoring provided by the project. This support is designed to help the participants start and scale their businesses, inspiring a new generation of young agripreneurs.

She advised the participants to use the items well, noting that the project would provide more support if they were put to profitable use. She noted that the project had the mandate to train 10,000 youths in Ogun, Oyo, Kano, and the FCT in various agricultural commodities within three years.

She stated, “Those receiving this support are among those who had undergone training, and now we are providing them with support in clusters to start or scale their businesses because we realize that providing them with capacity development alone is not sufficient. Today, we are reaffirming our commitment to raising a new generation of young agripreneurs, and this is what this project is all about.

“We decided to group them into clusters so that the items can serve many persons at a time, depending on their commodities and the part of the value chain they are interested in. We gave some of those in horticulture items to build their greenhouses. For those in aquaculture, we gave them fish feed, fingerlings, and smoking kilns. And those in poultry received chicks, feed, and other things. These items will help new farmers start their businesses and help existing farmers scale up.”

She stressed that opportunities in agriculture were not limited to production but along the complete value chain, which is why the support cuts across.

She added, “Some will produce the fish that others will process, and that’s why we are giving out fingerlings, tarpaulin ponds, and smoking kilns for fish processing. We want them to understand agriculture from a business perspective. We will certainly have more food if we can support them to increase production.

“As a research institution, IITA is positioning young people as off-takers of its technologies and innovations. However, there is a limit to what we can do as an institution. Still, we are doing this to prove to investors, the banks, the government, and any young person of goodwill that young Nigerians are building businesses and are interested in agriculture. If we can support them, we will be building the pathway to food security.”

BopInc Country Director Mercy Mayaki applauded the participants for taking an interest in farming despite the harsh business environment and the temptation to relocate to other countries.

She added, “Some have started their businesses, and some are prepared to start with the items they are being given today. It’s a tough business environment, especially for the agricultural sector. Nonetheless, it’s encouraging to see young people who believe in this country and are interested in doing something to be part of the change.”

Since its inception in 2023, the YAS project has trained about 7,000 youths in comprehensive technical and business skills in various commodities. It also supports those who have demonstrated commitment to their venture and hope to scale up.

One of the beneficiaries, Umar Farouq, said he engaged in primitive agricultural practices until he participated in the YAS training. “I am a poultry farmer, and to the glory of God and through the help of YAS, when we came in, they gave us intensive training, and that has reflected on my farm because my productivity has increased. Now that they have equipped us, it will further improve our productivity and capacity.”

Also, Amara Ogechi Felicia said the training, mentoring, and support she received from the project surpassed her expectations. She noted, “I am a fish farmer, and I was trained in aquaculture. I must say I’m very excited to be a beneficiary of this project. At first, I had doubts; I thought it was one of the organizations looking for numbers, but during the exercise, I learned, re-learned, and unlearned some of the things I thought I knew. The training was very impactful.

“At some point, I had to stop the business because of the high feed cost, but this input support will go a long way. I got 12 bags of 4mm feed and 450 fingerlings. Honestly, that’s a lot compared to what I have on the ground. So, this is a major expansion for my business, and I’m very excited.”