FG holds national agribusiness youth dialogue, advocates collaboration for youth empowerment

Omeiza Bilal

The Federal Government has emphasized the need for stakeholder collaboration to empower Nigerian youth in agricultural sector, highlighting their potential to drive climate-resilient and finance-enabled agrifood systems.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, made the call today at the First edition of the National AgriBusiness Strategy Youth Dialogue held in Abuja, recently with the themed “Building Climate-Resilient and Finance-Enabled Pathways for Youth in Agrifood Systems in Nigeria”.

The Minister emphasized that the Dialogue is a clarion call to harness the vibrancy and tenacity of the youth, who represent over 70% of Nigeria’s population, to reshape the sector for job creation, food availability, and wealth creation.

Sen. Kyari stressed that “When we empower our youth with access to finance and opportunity, we are not simply supporting individual enterprises. We are shaping markets, strengthening resilience and defining the future of our agrifood systems’’.

He noted that despite the resilient production systems, agriculture – the backbone of economic activity across Africa, continues to face persistent structural challenges hence the compelling need to harness the energy, innovation, and leadership of the young people to drive the transformation of agrifood systems.

According to him, “The integration of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme, and the African Agricultural Youth Strategy into our National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy demonstrates our clear commitment to building a sustainable, inclusive, and innovation-driven agricultural sector.”

He revealed that Nigeria identifies with its strategic agriculture transformation partner – the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), which among others, recognizes the place of innovation, creativity, efficiency, enterprise development access to finance and strong networks of collaboration among young people as the core of building competitive and resilient food systems.

He reiterated Nigeria’s commitment as reflected in its recent emergence as Chairperson of the 49th Session of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) positioning the country to shape global agricultural priorities for youth inclusion and sustainable financing.

He Pointed out that “We are backing our commitment with action, Through strategic collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria, National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), the Nigeria Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) and other key financial institutions, the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Administration has expanded access to agricultural finance, derisked rural investment, and unlocked capital for youth led enterprises.”

He added that “These reforms are strengthening credit delivery, scaling climate risk insurance, and extending digital financial services to underserved communities, building a more resilient and youth driven agrifood system,”.

He further said that the National and Global positioning underscores the need to translate leadership into tangible solutions for the youth, therefore calling for robust mentorship frameworks, expanding market access and fostering strategic partnerships so as to empower young entrepreneurs to build viable and competitive agribusiness.

While highlighting the need for actionable commitments, the Minister added, “A strategy on paper is not enough. Domestication – through state-level adoption, stakeholder alignment, resource mobilization, and measurable implementation – is where real impact lies.” 

In his welcome address, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, stated that the Dialogue aims to leverage resilience and finance in agriculture, bringing together young innovators and leaders to shape the sector’s landscape.

Dr. Ogunbiyi noted that food security, a national priority under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, cannot be achieved without securing the future of Nigeria’s youth in agriculture, noting that challenges like climate variability, limited finance, weak infrastructure, and barriers to land, technology, and markets necessitate this dialogue to encourage young people’s participation.

The Ministry is committed to creating an enabling environment where young Nigerians see agriculture as a first-choice career – modern, profitable, technology-driven, and globally competitive. “We must move from rhetoric to results, from fragmented interventions to coordinated impact, and from pilot projects to scalable national programs,” he emphasized.

The Permanent Secretary stated that the Ministry’s focus on domesticating the African Agribusiness Youth Strategy and institutionalizing the Youth Agripreneurs Programme Index (YAPI) for planning, monitoring, and evaluation, called for actionable commitments, clear timelines, and defined responsibilities, amplifying young people’s voices as co-creators of policy and implementation.

During his presentation, Senior Specialist, Continental and Regional Engagement for Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Mr.  David Adama, said that “We are no longer just talking about agriculture; we are talking about food systems. The ‘Kampala Era’ demands a shift toward total inclusivity, ensuring that whatever government does takes into account young people, women, and vulnerable groups.”

Mr. Adama added that “Our target is clear: we must empower at least 30 percent of youth and 30 percent of women in every food system value chain, while reducing the youth gap between men and women by 50 percent. We aren’t just here to talk; we are here to track measurable progress.”

He noted that “Nigeria is leading the way as the first country to domesticate the Africa Agribusiness Youth Strategy through this dialogue. To the young people here: you are leading this conversation. Take advantage of this opportunity to ensure your ideas are woven into the national plan.”

Highlight of the event was inspection exhibition stand led by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security and other stakeholders 

In attendance were Representative of the Minister of Water Resources, ECOWAS officials and other relevant stakeholders