The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and key development partners have unveiled plans to empower at least 30,000 rural youths through an expanded AgriHub programme.
The announcement was made in Abuja during a roundtable themed “Creating Rural Youth Employment Opportunities/Support to Agribusiness Hubs in Nigeria.” The meeting brought together development partners, government agencies, financiers, embassies and private sector players, all aligning to boost youth participation across value chains such as rice, cassava, soybean, tomato, groundnut and sesame.
IFAD Country Director Dede Ekoue said the first phase of AgriHub exceeded expectations—achieving over 100% of its employability target and 150% in youth-led enterprise creation. More than 7,000 young people took part in the pilot, prompting plans for wider rollout across the nine Niger Delta states, as well as Benue, Enugu and Anambra, with future expansion into the North-East and North-West.
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IITA AgriHub Coordinator Adesanya Omotomiwa noted that the next phase would prioritise fragile and conflict-affected areas, with stronger focus on job placement and monitoring.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, represented by Mrs Iluromi Adebola, said the initiative aligns with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, positioning youth skills and agribusiness as catalysts for food security and economic growth.
Backed by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and the Visa Foundation, AgriHub is regarded as one of Nigeria’s most impactful youth-focused agricultural programmes, having already facilitated over 7,000 agribusiness jobs in the last five years
