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The ENABLE-TAAT project in Uganda is creating job opportunities for youth in the agricultural sector by providing access to innovative agricultural technologies, capacity building, and entrepreneurial skills. The project boosts the productivity and profitability of Ugandan agripreneurs across value chains such as maize, cassava, aquaculture, and livestock using an Agribusiness […]

The popular phrase, “When life throws lemons at you, make lemonade,” accurately captures Azeezat Olayinka Olatunji’s remarkable transition from an aspiring medical doctor to a successful full-time farmer. Apart from owning a flourishing farm in her native Oyo State, she oversees a large agricultural enterprise, including a banana plantation of[…..]

As the world recently marked the International Day of Rural Women, I took some moments to reflect on the plight and prospects of women in Nigeria’s rural communities. Nigeria boasts hardworking women across all sectors, from the North to the South, whether in the city or rural hinterland. Indeed, in[…..]

The Federal Capital Territory hub of the YAS project has inaugurated its aquaculture and horticulture agri-parks. At the event held in September, 40 trained beneficiaries were onboarded, comprising 17 horticulture and 23 aquaculture incubator trainees. The facilities at the agri-park include tarpaulin ponds, fish processing equipment, and a greenhouse for[…..]

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[…..]

The IFAD Agrihub project, a key initiative implemented by IITA, played a pivotal role in hosting a job fair in Ibadan, Oyo State. This project, which focuses on employment and entrepreneurship tracks, was instrumental in facilitating job linkages and reducing youth unemployment in the agricultural sector. It underscores the importance[…..]

In commemoration of this year’s International Youth Day (IYD), the Youth in Agribusiness unit (IYA) of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the African Agricultural Leadership Institute (AALI) hosted a symposium on youth involvement in agriculture and the imperatives of digitizing agricultural practices for sustainable development. The event,[…..]

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Aletheia University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, to explore cooperation in agricultural research, knowledge transfer, and youth promotion in agribusiness. The MoU was signed recently at the institute’s headquarters in Ibadan by Dr Dashiell Kenton, the[…..]

The Sector Counsellor of Food and Agriculture at the Royal Danish Consulate General in Lagos, Nigeria, Sanne Chipeta, and a Danish investor in Nigeria, Snorri Sigurdsson, stated that access to land, education, and finance is crucial in getting young people to embrace agriculture and succeed in their ventures. Speaking recently,[…..]

At the just-concluded IITA Board meeting in Abuja, the IITA Youth Agripreneurs (IYA) received the board members and showcased the initiative’s impact in the past decade. Some beneficiaries of the training and support initiatives by the various projects under the IYA exhibited their products while sharing their training and business[…..]

In Awala Madugu Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Naja’atu Isa Sherrif and other women in her community participated in the modern dairy production training organized by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in partnership with Sebore Farms International. Sharing the impact of the training Naja’atu stated that they have[…..]

The ENABLE-TAAT project of IITA has provided agribusiness training for no fewer than 249 youths in Zimbabwe, as part of its drive to deepen its presence in southern and western African countries as well as equip young people to lead sustainable and profitable agribusiness ventures. The training, which took place[…..]

The Innovative Youth in Agriculture (I-Youth) project paid a courtesy visit to His Excellency Mallam Umar Namadi, the Governor of Jigawa State, Nigeria, as part of efforts to expand the project’s activities to the state. This visit underlines the project’s commitment to promoting access to dignified and fulfilling work for[…..]

The Youth in Agribusiness: Enabling scaling of innovative technologies for sustainable food solutions (YAS) project recently hosted two senior policy officers from the IGG Department (Food and Nutrition Security), Kingdom of the Netherlands. During their visit to the YAS office in Abuja, the senior policy officers, Jeroen Rijniers and Marion[…..]

The challenge of unemployment in African countries is a high-priority issue, particularly for the youth, who make up a significant portion of the population. In response to this challenge, IITA–CGIAR established the IITA Youth Agripreneurs (IYA) initiative, a youth-in-agribusiness model designed to combat widespread youth unemployment and foster self-employment in[…..]

A former President of Nigeria and Ambassador of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has stressed the need for stakeholders in the agricultural sector to introduce some glamour and innovations to farming if young people must find it attractive. The former President, who stated this during[…..]

The Youth in Agribusiness: Enabling scaling of innovative technologies for sustainable food solutions (YAS) project joined no fewer than 130 organizations and businesses for a three-day exhibition and conference at the recently concluded Nigeria Agro Food Fair in Lagos. During the exhibition, the YAS team showcased various agricultural products that[…..]

In March, stakeholders from various sectors converged in Abuja, Nigeria, for the Demand Strategy Stakeholder workshop organized by the Policy Innovation Center (PIC). The workshop, a beacon of collaboration and innovation, aimed to explore avenues for leveraging technology to enhance farmers’ productivity, particularly focusing on youth and women’s inclusion in[…..]

During the 2024 Kilimo Biashara Expo, the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) initiative made a significant impact by participating and showcasing technologies from the Beans, Maize, and Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) compacts. The Kilimo Biashara Expo is an annual event organized by the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research[…..]

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is exposing Adamawa state youths to dairy industry opportunities. This is facilitated through two of its youths in agribusiness projects- IFAD Agrihub and the Innovative Youth in Agriculture projects. The two projects have identified Sebore Farms in Adamawa State as a reliable partner[…..]