The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and the Mastercard Foundation have launched a six-year initiative to connect 143,000 young Nigerians with dignified and fulfilling work across the agrifood sector, with young women expected to account for 70 per cent of participants.

The Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture (YEFFA) programme was unveiled during a two-day convening in Abuja on October 7 and 8. The event brought together 150 participants, including 100 young people, government representatives, private-sector leaders and development partners to identify barriers to youth participation in agriculture and shape the initiative’s priorities.

YEFFA is a Pan-African partnership operating in eight countries. In Nigeria, it will cover the Federal Capital Territory and Niger, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Ogun and Oyo states, focusing on maize, rice, soybean, horticulture and aquaculture value chains.

Nigeria’s Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, formally launched the programme, urging young people to treat agriculture as a full-time business, acquire practical skills and seek guidance from experienced farmers.

He said agricultural training curricula are now required to allocate 70 per cent of their content to practical learning. He also highlighted opportunities beyond primary production, including processing, cocoa, mushroom cultivation and exports.

During the convening, young agripreneurs and youth leaders identified access to finance as their biggest business growth challenge. A live digital poll showed that 44 per cent of respondents prioritised financing, while 20 per cent selected youth leadership and inclusion and 17 per cent chose technology and innovation.

When asked which interventions would strengthen their agribusinesses, participants ranked mentorship and coaching ahead of affordable financing and practical skills training.

AGRA Nigeria Country Director, Dr Rufus Idris, said YEFFA was designed by young people for young people, with beneficiaries expected to participate actively in its implementation.

He added that the initiative aims to drive broader changes across Nigeria’s agricultural sector, extending its benefits beyond direct participants and programme partners.

Wambui Chege, Director of Agrifood Systems for Pan-African Programs at the Mastercard Foundation, said Nigeria would draw on lessons from the partnership’s implementation in other countries since 2023.

Representing young people at the launch, 28-year-old agripreneur Baliqees Salaudeen, regional coordinator of the African Youth Initiative on Climate Change, called for greater youth involvement in decisions shaping the sector.

Her recommendations included improving access to finance through lower collateral requirements, strengthening connections with buyers and processors, making digital tools more affordable, and ensuring the inclusion of young women, persons with disabilities and displaced youth.

Salaudeen also proposed a youth advisory mechanism that would give young people regular access to programme decision-makers, supported by transparent implementation and business assistance.

The Bank of Agriculture Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Ayodeji Oludare Sotinrin, disclosed that the bank financed more than 500,000 farmers in the previous year. He pledged to work with AGRA and the Mastercard Foundation to establish a dedicated financing mechanism for YEFFA participants.

Mastercard Foundation Nigeria Country Director, Rosy Fynn, said the initiative was developed to address challenges raised by young people, particularly limited access to finance and markets and post-harvest losses. She emphasised that meeting its objectives would require shared responsibility among programme partners.

Participants also recommended shared, certified post-harvest and aggregation hubs, patient financing suited to young entrepreneurs, wider access to agricultural insurance and better integration of farm, market and financial data to reduce risks for lenders and insurers.

Other proposed interventions included agribusiness incubation, mentorship, youth-responsive financing and digital agriculture tools to improve productivity and business sustainability.

The outcomes and commitments from the Abuja convening will guide YEFFA’s operational roadmap, partnership frameworks and implementation activities across Nigeria.

Source: MSME Africa Online