The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has provided input support to 400 young farmers in Kano State under its Youth in Agribusiness Project.
The initiative aims to help the youths grow their businesses and contribute to agricultural development in Nigeria.
It was a day of hope and new beginnings for 400 young farmers gathered at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) headquarters in Kano.
These youths, drawn from different parts of the state, came to celebrate their graduation from IITA’s Youths in Agribusiness (YAS) Project.
The YAS project, funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Nigeria, provides technical and business training to youths in agribusiness value chains such as poultry, horticulture, and aquaculture.
For many of these young people, it is more than just a program; it is a lifeline to a brighter future.
They say the initiative is helping them overcome the challenges of limited resources and market access.
As part of the support package, the youths received items such as bags of chicken feed, fertilizer, knapsacks, chicks, fish feed, seedling trays, and seeds for crops like sweet pepper and tomatoes.
Since its launch in 2023, the YAS project has trained over 7,000 youths across Kano, Oyo, Ogun, and the FCT, aiming to reach 10,000 by 2025.
It focuses on critical agricultural value chains like aquaculture, cassava, maize, and groundnut.
Officials emphasized their commitment to ensuring the proper use of the distributed inputs, cautioning beneficiaries against misuse or selling them.
The YAS Officials are optimistic that these young farmers, will use the skills and tools they now have, and contribute to Nigeria’s agricultural development.
