The Federal Government says it is scaling up youth agripreneurship in Nigeria to drive food systems transformation.
Sen. Abubakar Kyari, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, made the statement on Tuesday at a youth agripreneurs workshop in Abuja. The workshop, themed “Scaling Youth Agripreneurship for Food Systems Transformation,” was organized by the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprise – Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) Project.
Kyari said young people are leading innovations in the agrifood sector, including precision agriculture, AI-powered farm tools, soilless farming, digital marketplaces, agro-processing, and finance platforms.
“Our young people, fueled by ingenuity and determination, are taking the lead in agrifood innovation. They are driving sustainable development, transforming agrifood systems, creating dignified livelihoods, and promoting inclusive economic growth in Nigeria,” he said.
The minister, however, noted that youth participation in agriculture remained inconsistent due to obstacles such as limited access to finance, land, processing facilities, and markets.
“Today, we come together with a clear focus to change the narrative. This event reflects our commitment to scale up youth agripreneurship across Nigeria and the region. Our goals are concrete: to unlock land and productive resources for young farmers while ensuring secure tenure and responsible land stewardship,” Kyari said.
He added that President Bola Tinubu had repositioned agriculture as a primary driver of economic transformation, making it a central pillar of Nigeria’s national development agenda.
Kyari explained that the government had piloted youth-led agripreneurship models, expanded agro-processing and agribusiness incubation, and leveraged digital tools to connect farmers to markets and finance.
The minister called on stakeholders to create ecosystems where collaboration eclipses competition and where every young agripreneur has a fair chance to contribute to national prosperity.
“Youth must be actively and meaningfully involved in planning, implementation, and governance of all programmes. We must ensure that women, persons with disabilities, and marginalized groups have equal access to opportunities and resources,” he said.
Earlier, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, said the workshop aligned with the Federal Government’s goal of repositioning agriculture as a viable, wealth-creating, and competitive sector.
He added that the event reflected the government’s commitment to harness the energy, innovation, and entrepreneurial drive of young people to transform agriculture from subsistence to a thriving enterprise.
“This transformation is central to strengthening food security, expanding rural livelihoods, and enabling inclusive national development,” Ogunbiyi said.
In a goodwill message, Ms. Dede Ekoue, Country Director of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), reiterated the organizations commitment to scaling up youth agripreneurship programmes in Nigeria.
Mr. Temi Adegoroye, Managing Partner at Sahel Consulting, Agriculture and Nutrition Ltd, said young people play a crucial role in driving innovative changes for a transformed food system in Nigeria.
In a presentation, Dr. Abiodun Sanni, National Project Coordinator of the LIFE-ND Project, said the programme had trained and empowered over 29,620 youths and women as agripreneurs across priority value chains, including cassava, rice, oil palm, aquaculture, poultry, and horticulture.
Sanni added that the project also supported viable agribusiness ventures by providing access to start-up capital, production inputs, and agro-processing platforms.
