The federal government on Tuesday, March 10, 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 in Abuja during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the federal ministry of youth development and IITA.
Over six million youths are expected to benefit from the programme.
Speaking at the event, the minister of youth development, Ayodele Olawande, said the programme is designed to empower Nigerian youths to become key drivers of agricultural productivity, food security, and economic growth.
Olawande said, “As we have always emphasised, the Nigerian youth population remains our greatest asset.
“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 leveraging the ministry’s 42 National Youth Development Centres (NYDC) to facilitate land access, we have achieved a practical and sustainable solution.”
The minister noted that one of the most significant challenges for young aspiring agripreneurs is access to land, and the Land Trust Fund provides a framework to address this.
“As part of this initiative, the ministry is making land resources available within the 42 centres nationwide. IITA is ready to start training more than six million young Nigerians who have expressed interest in agriculture,” he said.
Olawande called on state governments, development partners, financial institutions, and private sector organisations to support the initiative, emphasising collaboration to scale impact.
The IITA Director-General (DG), Simeon Ehui, said the programme will provide technical support for agribusiness incubation, training, and innovation, linking youth enterprises to value chains, financing opportunities, and modern agricultural technologies.
He stated, “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 the 42 Youth Development Centres into vibrant hubs of innovation and enterprise development.
“By empowering young people to become agripreneurs, we are not only addressing youth unemployment, but also strengthening food security, revitalising rural communities, and building a more resilient agricultural economy.”
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