The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture has trained and empowered youths in Oyo State with practical skills in horticultural crop production, cassava processing, and catfish value addition as part of efforts to boost food security and create employment opportunities.
The institute explained that the initiative goes beyond agricultural research and is focused on equipping young people with the knowledge and support needed to build sustainable agribusinesses that can contribute to economic growth.
The programme was implemented through the institute’s Youth in Agribusiness Project with support from the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Speaking during the graduation ceremony for participants trained in horticultural crop production in partnership with the International Fertilizer Development Center-HortiNigeria in Ibadan on Thursday, the YAS Project Coordinator, Adebayo Awotodunbo, said the training was designed to combine technical knowledge with business development skills.
According to him, about 50 youths participated in the programme, while 31 beneficiaries were selected to receive agricultural input support based on their performance during the business incubation training.
Awotodunbo said the organisers deliberately chose to provide agricultural inputs instead of cash to ensure that beneficiaries properly invest in their farming businesses.
“Training alone is not enough. We also need to support these young people practically so they can establish and grow sustainable agribusinesses,” he said.
He noted that previous experiences showed that cash support was sometimes diverted to other purposes, adding that providing farming inputs would help participants focus on building their agricultural ventures.
“We believe national development starts from the community level. Once youths are able to create jobs and expand their agricultural activities, they contribute directly to food security and economic growth,” he added.
Also speaking, the Programme Director of HortiNigeria, Mohammed Salasi, described the initiative as an important step toward tackling youth unemployment through agriculture.
He said the programme had already produced positive results, as some of the participants were able to cultivate and harvest horticultural crops successfully and generate income from the process.
“We are proud of what these young people have achieved so far. We believe that with the experience and support they have received, they will continue to grow and contribute meaningfully to feeding the nation,” Salasi said.
