Business
FG, IITA launch Youth Agribusiness Land Trust Fund to tackle unemployment
…6m youths to benefit from new agribusiness initiative
The Federal Government has launched the Youth in Agribusiness Land Trust Fund (YALTF) in partnership with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to expand opportunities for young Nigerians in agriculture and address barriers such as limited access to land, skills, and financing.
The initiative was unveiled on Tuesday in Abuja during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Federal Ministry of Youth Development and IITA.
Six million youths will benefit from the new agribusiness initiative.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, said the programme was designed to empower Nigerian youths to become key drivers of agricultural productivity, food security, and economic growth.
According to him, Nigeria’s youthful population remains one of the country’s greatest assets if properly harnessed.
He explained that the initiative would leverage the land resources within the ministry’s 42 National Youth Development Centres across the country to expand youth participation in agriculture.
Olawande said, “As we have always emphasised in our engagements, the Nigerian youth population remains the greatest asset for our country. When provided with the right opportunities, skills, and enabling environment, young people can become powerful drivers of economic growth, innovation, and transformation within the agricultural sector.
“By building on the network of the ministry’s 42 National Youth Development Centres to facilitate land access across the country, we have achieved a practical and sustainable solution.”
The minister noted that one of the most significant challenges facing young people who want to venture into agriculture is access to land, adding that the land trust fund provides a framework to address the challenge.
He further disclosed that more than six million young Nigerians in the ministry’s database have already expressed interest in agriculture and would benefit from training and enterprise development under the programme.
Olawande said, “As part of this initiative, the ministry is making available the land resources within the 42 National Youth Development Centres across the country. This will serve as a strong foundation for expanding youth participation in agriculture nationwide.
“It is very encouraging to note that IITA is ready to start training more than six million young people within the ministry’s database who have already expressed interest in agriculture.”
Olawande also called on state governments, development partners, financial institutions and private sector organisations to support the initiative.
“I would like to invite development partners, state governments, financial institutions, and private sector players to collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Youth Development and IITA in expanding this initiative,” he said.
Earlier in his remarks, Director – General of IITA, Simeon Ehui, described the initiative as a strategic step towards transforming agriculture into a viable pathway for youth employment and entrepreneurship.
Ehui said the launch of the programme followed discussions with the minister during his recent visit to IITA headquarters in Ibadan.
He said, “I still remember very well your visit to IITA last month in Ibadan. We had a very productive conversation on how agriculture can create real opportunities for Nigerian youth. I am particularly pleased that today we are already translating that discussion into concrete action.”
According to him, Nigeria’s demographic structure presents a unique opportunity for economic transformation.
He noted, however, that many young Nigerians interested in agriculture face barriers, including a lack of land, limited access to finance, and weak market linkages.
Ehui said, “With more than 60 percent of its population under the age of thirty, Nigeria possesses one of the largest and most dynamic youth populations in the world. If properly harnessed, this demographic asset can become a powerful engine of economic growth, innovation, and national transformation.
“If we truly want to solve youth unemployment in Nigeria, we must make agriculture not only respectable, but profitable for young people.”
Ehui explained that under the initiative, the 42 youth development centres would be transformed into agribusiness innovation hubs where young people can acquire practical skills, launch enterprises, and connect with markets and investors.
“These centres will evolve into Agribusiness Innovation Hubs where young Nigerians can acquire practical skills, launch agribusiness ventures and connect to markets and investors,” he said.
The IITA director-general said the institute would provide technical support for agribusiness incubation, training, and innovation while linking youth enterprises to value chains, financing opportunities, and modern agricultural technologies.
Ehui added that the initiative aims to train six million young Nigerians over the next three years while incubating hundreds of thousands of youth-led agribusiness enterprises across the country.
“Our ambition is bold. Over the next three years, this initiative aims to train six million young Nigerians, incubate hundreds of thousands of youth-led agribusiness enterprises, and transform 42 Youth Development Centres into vibrant hubs of innovation and enterprise development,” he said.
He emphasised that empowering young people in agriculture would not only address unemployment but also strengthen food security and revitalise rural economies.
“By empowering young people to become agripreneurs, we are not only addressing youth unemployment—we are strengthening food security, revitalising rural communities and building a more resilient agricultural economy,” Ehui said.
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