Last week, Embassy of the Netherlands in Nigeria launched a new initiative aimed at empowering Nigerian youth in the field of agribusiness was in Abuja. The program, named Youth in Agribusiness (YAS), carries the theme ‘Enabling Scaling of Innovative Technologies for Sustainable Food Solutions’ and is set to run for three years, with the objective of supporting 10,000 young individuals across four states: Ogun, Oyo, Kano, and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
This ambitious project, inspired by the resilience of the Nigerian people and driven by Dutch innovation, seeks to not only empower the youth but also contribute to enhancing food security and promoting climate-smart agriculture in Nigeria.
During the launch event held on International World Food Day, the Netherlands Ambassador, Mr. Wouter Plomp, revealed that the YAS program is scheduled to run from December 2022 to December 2025.
The initiative will expose its beneficiaries to various economic opportunities along the value chains of essential crops like yam, cassava, soybean, groundnut, maize, as well as horticulture, aquaculture, and poultry farming.
The target demographic for the YAS program is the youth, specifically those aged between 18 and 35. The implementation of this initiative in Nigeria will be a collaborative effort between the Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and Bopinc.
The Nigerian government is fully supportive of this project, and the Vice President, represented by his Technical Adviser on Agriculture, Ms. Maroon Moon, expressed the government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for the YAS program to thrive. This commitment aligns with the government’s mandate to provide opportunities for young people in agribusiness, with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), aiming to reduce the levels of youth unemployment and associated challenges like crime.
The YAS program represents a crucial step towards harnessing the potential of Nigeria’s youth and advancing the nation’s agricultural sector, all while promoting sustainability and economic growth.
The target demographic for the YAS program is the youth, specifically those aged between 18 and 35. The implementation of this initiative in Nigeria will be a collaborative effort between the Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and Bopinc.