The Federal Government has pledged support for the scale-up of Agribusiness Hub initiative, designed to create sustainable employment for at least 30,000 youths across the country.
The initiative, led by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in partnership with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the Visa Foundation, seeks to transform Nigeria’s agrifood systems through skills development, enterprise creation, and market integration.
The Director, Federal Department of Development Partners Projects, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Iluromi Adebola, made the pledge at the Agribusiness hubs development partners roundtable organised by IITA in Abuja.
The gathering brought together development partners, government agencies, financiers, embassies and private sector actors seeking to unlock fresh opportunities for young Nigerians across the agricultural value chain.
Adebola said the government’s presence at the event demonstrates a shared commitment to youth development and national food security.
She described the Agribusiness Hub model championed as more than a project, adding that it is a transformative ecosystem that connects young people to opportunities across the agricultural value chain.
She said the pressures of unemployment, limited education and rural insecurity continue to cause instability for Nigeria, saying this “reality underscores an urgent need to ensure that young people, especially in the rural areas, are empowered with the skills, finance and methods to thrive.”
Her words: “Here in Nigeria, the AgriHub initiative implemented by IITA is demonstrating the power of partnership and innovation through structured hubs, job fairs, hands-on training and strong links with agribusinesses. Our youths have been prepared for employment in priority value chains such as rice, cassava, tomato, groundnuts and so on.
“Nigeria is particularly pleased that the scale-off phase of the Agrihub project will give priority attention to fragile and conflict-affected areas, addressing migration pressures, supporting peace building and strengthening local economies through Agribusinesses.
Adebola said the initiative directly supports the Renewed Home Agenda of President Bola Tinubu for the nation to attain food security.
She observed that the scale-up phase of the initiative would prioritise fragile and conflict-affected areas, strengthen local economies, support peacebuilding, and ensure that young agripreneurs can access markets, finance, and technical skills.
Speaking, IFAD Nigeria Country Director, Dede Ekoue, highlighted some of the successes of the first phase of the initiative.
Noting that the initiative had demonstrated what strategic investments in the youth could achieve, she said the project had created more than 5,600 direct jobs and 1,300 indirect jobs across both rural and semi-urban areas.
According to her, the project has surpassed its targets by 174 per cent for enterprise creation and 163 per cent for employment in agribusiness and related sectors.
Ekoue added that the pilot phase attracted over 7,000 youths, prompting partners to prepare for a bigger rollout.
She listed the Niger Delta’s nine states, Benue, Enugu and Anambra, among the areas to be covered in the scale-up, with plans to extend the value chain system to the North-East and North-West.
Ekoue noted that the scale-up phase aims to reach at least 30,000 youths nationwide.
She maintained that investing in rural youth is not just an economic imperative but an investment in national stability, peace, and the future of the country.
“The scale-up of the Agribusiness Hub is a game-changer for Nigeria’s rural youth. It provides structured pathways from training to enterprise, supports green economic growth, and strengthens resilience in fragile areas. It positions young Nigerians as leaders of inclusive rural transformation and green economic growth through entrepreneurship and employability”, she said.
Agribusiness Hub Nigeria Project Coordinator at IITA, Adesanya Omotomiwa,
described the purpose of the roundtable as a platform to mobilise resources for the scale-up phase.
Omotomiwa added that the program not only places youths in jobs but also encourages them to start their own agribusinesses, with at least 30 per cent of participants expected to become entrepreneurs who can employ others.
He explained that the initiative spans multiple stages, saying that after training, youths are either placed in jobs or supported to start enterprises.
“In the first phase, we impacted over 7,000 youths. With the lessons learned, we aim to double or even triple that number in the next phase, reaching at least 30,000 young Nigerians. There is no ceiling; the only limitation is the resources we can mobilise,” he added.
