Federal Government Launches Land Trust Fund With IITA to Train Six Million Youths in Agribusiness

The federal government has teamed up with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to establish a land trust fund aimed at encouraging young Nigerians to pursue careers in agribusiness, with the announcement made during a launch event on Monday in Abuja. The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, said the initiative will convert all 42 youth development centres across the country into active agribusiness hubs, with a target of training and empowering six million young people over the next three years. 

Olawande explained that success in agriculture depends on access to finance, land, technical training, modern equipment, climate-smart solutions, value chain integration, and dependable markets, and that this initiative addresses those needs. He added that the programme will support the creation and formalisation of at least 500,000 youth-led agribusiness enterprises and connect young entrepreneurs to both local and international markets.

The minister noted that while young Nigerians under 30 make up 60 percent of the country’s population, the lack of access to farmland has been a major obstacle preventing many from pursuing agriculture. He said that agriculture today is no longer just about farming but is increasingly driven by technology, innovation, entrepreneurship, and knowledge, offering young people opportunities to become business owners, processors, exporters, and service providers across agricultural value chains.

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The launch of the land trust fund represents a significant step toward addressing youth unemployment and food security through agricultural enterprise. The partnership with IITA is expected to provide technical expertise and research support to ensure the success of the initiative. The government hopes that by removing land access barriers and providing training, more young Nigerians will see agriculture as a viable career path.