About 700 youths in Oyo State are to benefit from the Youth Empowerment and Reintegration Project (YERP), a €2.4 million agricultural initiative launched by the Oyo State Government in partnership with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD).

Funded by the Government of Denmark, the project targets young people aged 18 to 35, particularly those in rural communities and returnee migrants from the South-West.

Speaking at the project agreement signing ceremony in Ibadan on Friday, the Oyo State Commissioner for Agriculture, Barrister Olasunkanmi Olaleye, described YERP as another milestone in Governor ‘Seyi Makinde’s agricultural development agenda.

Olaleye said the project was designed to tackle youth unemployment, support the sustainable reintegration of returnee migrants, curb irregular migration and stimulate rural economic development.

According to him, YERP would engage 700 youths in productive agricultural livelihoods, improve their economic prospects and promote innovation and modernisation in the agricultural sector.

He said the initiative reflected the state government’s position that agriculture was not only essential for food production but also a strategic tool for job creation, youth empowerment, rural development and economic resilience.

The commissioner added that the ICMPD-led intervention would promote climate-smart and sustainable agriculture while creating viable economic opportunities for young people in rural communities.

He said the project would also help reduce the attraction of irregular migration by enabling youths to build sustainable livelihoods within their communities.

“YERP is an important intervention designed to support teeming youth, particularly rural young people and returnee migrants, by creating sustainable opportunities for them through agriculture and related economic activities,” he said.

“The project aims to address rural youth unemployment, support the sustainable reintegration of returnee migrants, curb irregular migration and drive rural economic development through climate-smart and sustainable agriculture.”

Olaleye disclosed that the state government had secured 1,766 hectares of unencumbered farmland in Ilero, Kajola Local Government Area, and another 50 hectares at the Rural Community Development Centre in Aawe, Afijio Local Government Area, for the project.

He said the government would work with relevant stakeholders, host communities and development partners to ensure beneficiaries had access to land, security, agricultural training, modern farming techniques, market opportunities and other support required to establish sustainable livelihoods.

The commissioner stressed that the project went beyond farmland allocation, saying it was designed to develop sustainable livelihoods and generate evidence that could inform policies on youth empowerment and migration management.

He said beneficiaries would receive training in climate-smart agriculture, support for cooperative development, market linkages and livelihood assistance.

Olaleye added that the state government’s responsibilities under the partnership included providing farmland, facilitating partnerships among host communities, land donors, the private sector and development partners, as well as supporting the tractorisation of the farmland.

He said YERP would also promote sustainable land management and contribute to the state’s efforts towards achieving food security.

The commissioner noted that the project complemented existing initiatives of the Makinde administration aimed at making agriculture attractive to young people as a business and career rather than merely subsistence farming.

He listed ongoing interventions in youth training, agribusiness development, access to productive resources, climate-smart agriculture, mechanisation, digital soil testing, extension services and market-oriented initiatives.

“YERP is therefore coming into an environment where a foundation for youth participation in agriculture already exists. What the partnership with ICMPD brings is an additional opportunity to extend these efforts to more rural young people and returnee migrants,” he added.

Olaleye urged young people to take advantage of emerging opportunities across the agricultural value chain, noting that modern agriculture had moved beyond the traditional use of hoes and cutlasses.

He said opportunities now existed in production, processing, logistics, digital agriculture, mechanisation, marketing and other areas of the value chain.

Also speaking, the ICMPD Portfolio Manager for the Pan-Africa Region, Marcello Giordani, said he travelled to Ibadan specifically for the YERP partnership.

He described Nigeria as ICMPD’s biggest and most important partner in Africa, adding that although the organisation had several projects in the country, YERP stood out because of its potential to create meaningful opportunities for young people through agriculture.

“I really believe that this project could become an interesting opportunity for a number of young people from this area to explore their potential and create a positive change in their future by working in agriculture.

“With new technology and the right conditions to enable them to build their future and earn a living through agriculture, I believe this project could be of great help,” he said.

Giordani expressed satisfaction with the cooperation received from the Oyo State Government, saying the signing of the agreement during his second visit demonstrated the state’s commitment to the partnership.

“This really shows the commitment, ownership and the fact that the Oyo State Government is taking our partnership seriously. We are doing exactly the same on our side,” he said.