The Federal Government has launched the Youth in Agribusiness Land Trust Fund (YiALTF), a new initiative aimed at training six million young Nigerians and supporting 500,000 youth-led agribusinesses over the next three years.
The programme, unveiled in Abuja by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, is designed to connect young people with opportunities across agriculture and agribusiness while addressing one of the biggest barriers to youth participation in the sector — access to land.
YiALTF is being implemented in partnership with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and will leverage land resources within Nigeria’s 42 National Youth Development Centres to create agriculture hubs for training, enterprise development, and agribusiness incubation.
Speaking at the launch, Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, described the initiative as a major step towards creating jobs, strengthening food security, and building a new generation of agricultural entrepreneurs.
“Today, we officially launched the Youth in Agribusiness Land Trust Fund (YiALTF), a major initiative of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development aimed at connecting young Nigerians with opportunities in agriculture, agribusiness, and economic growth,” Olawande said.
“This programme is not just about land, it is about jobs, food security, entrepreneurship, and building a stronger future for Nigerian youth.”
According to the minister, the government plans to transform Youth Development Centres across the country into agriculture hubs that will provide training, mentorship, technology, business support, and access to markets.
“Our goal is to train six million young Nigerians within the next three years and support at least 500,000 youth-led agribusinesses across the value chain,” he said.
The initiative will focus on equipping participants with practical skills in modern agriculture, climate-smart farming, agribusiness development, and value-chain opportunities. Participants will also receive support designed to improve their ability to build sustainable agricultural enterprises.
Olawande said the programme was developed after the ministry identified large areas of underutilised land within youth development centres across the country. Rather than allowing those assets to remain idle, the government decided to convert them into productive centres for youth-led agribusiness activities.
He noted that the programme goes beyond land allocation and includes access to training, technology, mentorship, business development support, and market linkages.
According to him, many young Nigerians possess the talent and entrepreneurial drive needed to succeed but often lack access to opportunities and support systems that can help them build viable businesses.
“The challenge facing Nigerian youth is not a lack of talent or innovation, but limited access to opportunities and support,” he said.
The minister added that the programme aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to expand economic opportunities for young Nigerians and position them as key contributors to national development.
As part of activities marking the launch, the ministry also provided financial support to selected young agripreneurs. The intervention is intended to strengthen youth-led agricultural enterprises and demonstrate the government’s commitment to supporting entrepreneurs beyond policy announcements.
The launch also attracted support from public and private sector stakeholders, financial institutions, development organisations, and agricultural partners expected to play critical roles in the implementation of the initiative.
Among the organisations backing the programme are IITA, FCMB, First Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Bank of Agriculture, development partners, financial institutions, and private sector stakeholders.
Olawande commended the partners for supporting the vision and investing in the potential of Nigerian youth.
“I appreciate our partners including IITA, FCMB, First Bank, FAO, Bank of Agriculture, development partners, financial institutions, and private sector stakeholders for believing in the potential of Nigerian youth,” he said.
“Together, we are creating pathways for young people to contribute meaningfully to national development in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
Also speaking at the launch, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, described the initiative as a timely intervention that could help address one of the most significant challenges limiting youth participation in agriculture.
He said access to land remains a major obstacle for many young people seeking to enter the agricultural sector and noted that the trust fund could help unlock opportunities for greater youth involvement.
Bagudu said Nigeria possesses enormous agricultural potential but continues to face challenges related to land access, ownership structures, and coordination, all of which affect productivity and discourage long-term investment.
According to him, agriculture should no longer be viewed as subsistence activity but as a modern business sector capable of generating employment, attracting investment, driving innovation, and supporting economic growth.
He encouraged young Nigerians to explore opportunities across farming, livestock production, fisheries, food processing, agricultural technology, and other segments of the agricultural value chain.
The minister also emphasised the need for stronger collaboration between governments, development partners, financial institutions, and private investors to ensure the long-term success of the programme.
He noted that government funding alone would not be sufficient to achieve the scale of transformation required in the sector and called for increased private-sector participation.
