IITA Calls for Increased Support for Young Farmers to Strengthen Nigeria’s Food Security
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has urged all levels of government to increase investment and support for young farmers to enhance food production in Nigeria. The organization highlighted that the country’s food security remains at risk due to insufficient backing for farmers.
Aline Mugisho, CEO of the IITA Youth in Agribusiness Office, expressed this concern during an event on Saturday, where farm inputs and machinery were donated to young farmers in the Federal Capital Territory. The donation, part of the YAS project funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Nigeria, benefited 135 farmers previously trained in aquaculture, poultry, horticulture, and other agricultural sectors.
The donated items included 148 bags of fish feed, fingerlings, tarpaulin ponds, fish smoking kilns, poultry feed, irrigation kits, water tanks, fertilizers, and a chicken plucking machine. These resources aim to boost the productivity of the young farmers.
Mugisho emphasized the need for agriculture to be treated as a business rather than a charity to secure Nigeria’s food future. “We lack sufficient nationwide interventions. If more initiatives like this existed, we would see better food outcomes. Often, the support for agriculture is more talk than action,” she said.
She further noted that agriculture should focus on developing the next generation of entrepreneurs, not be viewed as a charity effort. “We aim to inspire young people to become the next big names in Nigerian agribusiness. Our role at IITA is to develop technology and work with youth to implement it effectively in the marketplace.”
Mugisho also highlighted the importance of governmental involvement. “While we can create models to show that agricultural businesses can thrive, we need the government’s support to scale these efforts. With more production, food availability will increase, but private organizations can only do so much. We aim to demonstrate to banks, investors, and government agencies that young Nigerians are building successful businesses in agriculture. With more support, they can contribute significantly to Nigeria’s food security.”
She explained that the input support followed extensive training, business development, and mentoring to help young farmers expand their operations. Mugisho encouraged the recipients to utilize the items effectively, indicating that further support would be available if the resources were used productively. She also mentioned that the YAS project aims to train 10,000 young people in various agricultural sectors.
“Those receiving this assistance are part of a broader training initiative, and we are now equipping them to either start or scale their businesses. We recognize that training alone is not enough. Today’s event reaffirms our commitment to developing a new generation of agripreneurs,” Mugisho added.
Beneficiaries of the project expressed their appreciation. Umar Farouq, a poultry farmer, shared that his traditional farming methods had improved significantly after participating in the project. “The training and new equipment have increased my productivity, and I expect further growth with the support I’ve received.”
Similarly, Amara Ogechi Felicia, a fish farmer, spoke of her initial doubts about the program but said the training had exceeded her expectations. “I stopped my business at one point due to the high cost of feed, but with this input support—12 bags of feed and 450 fingerlings—I’m ready to expand my operations. This has been a significant boost for my business.”
