The Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, has launched the Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture (YEFFA) programme in Nigeria.
More than 100 young agripreneurs, innovators and sector leaders gathered yesterday in Abuja for the youth-led dialogue ahead of the official launch of YEFFA Nigeria today.
The two-day convening, themed "From Dialogue to Action," is hosted by AGRA under the Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture (YEFFA) programme,
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At the Day 1 of the event yesterday, young women and men described the realities of running agribusinesses in Nigeria today and agreed the priorities they will put before policymakers and investors at tomorrow's official launch.
Three barriers dominated the discussion: finance that young people can actually access, reliable routes to market, and post-harvest infrastructure.
In his opening remarks, the Country Director, AGRA Nigeria, Dr Rufus Idris, said YEFFA would support young people to participate not only in farming but across the agricultural value chain, including processing, aggregation, logistics, marketing, technology, seed production, irrigation, extension and weather advisory services.
"My father grew up being told he was a leader of tomorrow, and I heard the same in school. But tomorrow is here. You are the leaders of today. Agribusiness is no longer about hoes and cutlasses; it is about data, innovation, technology and global connections. Africa's food economy will soon be worth US$1 trillion. The question is how much of that market our young people will command.
"Don't forget, I would like to remind you that it's agribusiness, not agriculture," Idris said, describing agribusiness as a major economic opportunity for young Africans.
Under the broader YEFFA partnership, 50 per cent of the 1.5 million beneficiaries are expected to be young women. The programme aligns with the Mastercard Foundation's Young Africa Works strategy, which seeks to enable 30 million young Africans to access dignified and fulfilling work by 2030.
In Nigeria, YEFFA is expected to reach 160,000 young people through work-enabling outreach, support 153,000 into work and enable 143,000 to access dignified and fulfilling work. Women are expected to account for 70 per cent of participants reached.
The Nigerian programme will operate across FCT, Niger, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Ogun and Oyo, focusing on maize, rice, soybean, vegetable-focused horticulture and aquaculture.
Mastercard Foundation Market Systems Lead, Dr Emele Olaseye, said young people would be central to the programme's implementation.
"Nothing for the youth without the youth," Olaseye said, urging participants to ensure that YEFFA responds to the realities and priorities of young people.
"Please, young people, challenge us. Guide us. Tell us what you want YEFFA to do," she added.
Participants identified access to finance, land, markets, technology, infrastructure, insurance and security as key barriers limiting young people's participation in agribusiness.
Baliqees Salaudeen Ibrahim, Team Lead at Green Republic Farms, called for financing models designed around the specific needs and risks of young agribusiness entrepreneurs.
"We need to ensure that we have a holistic system that speaks to everything and enables young people to grow and scale their agribusinesses," he said.
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Dr Ayodele Olaleye, Programme Lead, Market Systems Development, Mastercard Foundation, said: "Our philosophy is simple: nothing for youth without youth. As we say, you cannot shave a man's head in his absence. Programmes for young people must be designed with them and led by them at every stage. My charge to you is to look beyond this room. You are here to speak for the young woman in rural Kano, the young man in Benue and the young person in Lagos who needs dignified, fulfilling work."
Young people at the event called on the government, development partners and financial institutions to stop treating young people as beneficiaries and start backing them as the commercial leaders of Nigeria's food economy.
