IITA Empowers 70 Oyo Young Farmers with Crucial Inputs, Equipment
Ibadan, Nigeria – In a significant boost to youth engagement in agriculture, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has provided essential farm inputs and equipment to 70 young farmers in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State. This intervention falls under the institute’s Youth in Agribusiness Project, a program designed to support the establishment and expansion of agribusiness ventures among young entrepreneurs.
This distribution in Ibadan follows similar successful initiatives held in Abuja, Kano, and Ogun States, underscoring IITA’s nationwide commitment to fostering youth participation in the agricultural sector. At the event, held at IITA’s headquarters in Ibadan, the 70 beneficiaries received a diverse range of items tailored to their specific agribusinesses. These included advanced solar irrigation systems, improved cassava variety stems, efficient rotary slashers, defeathering machines for poultry processing, vital fertilizers, high-yield improved maize seeds, garri frying equipment, various vegetable seeds, fish and poultry feed, seedling trays for nursery development, coco peat growing medium, reliable generators, knapsack sprayers for crop protection, and garri pressing machines.
Representing the IITA Senior Management Team, the Head of the Genetic Resources Center, Prof. Michael Abberton, extended his congratulations to the young beneficiaries. He strongly encouraged them to leverage the comprehensive support network established by the project, emphasizing the institute’s long-term vision for youth involvement in the agricultural value chain.
“Youth involvement in agribusiness has been a central focus of IITA’s Youth in Agribusiness Office for the past decade,” Prof. Abberton stated. “This initiative is of paramount importance to us, as we anticipate significant scaling of your businesses, leading to substantial employment creation through your expansion.” He further highlighted the potential for the distributed inputs to generate positive impact across multiple key agricultural value chains, including cassava production and processing, aquaculture, poultry farming, horticulture, and cassava processing.
Also speaking at the event, the CEO of IITA Youth Agripreneurs, Aline Mugisho, represented by a Business Development Expert, Idowu Osun, reaffirmed the project’s unwavering commitment to providing continuous mentorship and comprehensive support to the young agripreneurs.
“We strongly encourage you to actively participate in our coaching programmes and take advantage of the valuable networking opportunities we provide,” Mr. Osun conveyed on behalf of Ms. Mugisho. “Agribusiness presents significant opportunities, and we are here to provide you with the support you need to succeed.”
Project Coordinator, Adebayo Awotodunbo, expressed his gratitude to the Kingdom of the Netherlands for their crucial support in funding this vital initiative. He also underscored the critical importance of the beneficiaries utilizing the distributed items responsibly and effectively for the intended purpose.
“Our dedicated monitoring and evaluation team will be conducting follow-up visits to your farms to rigorously assess how these inputs are being utilized,” Mr. Awotodunbo cautioned. “It is imperative that these resources are used as intended. Any instance of selling the provided items will result in immediate removal from the scheme.”
One of the elated beneficiaries, Ayomikun Oyesiji, expressed profound appreciation for the timely intervention, highlighting the significant positive impact of the IITA training on her agribusiness venture. “The training provided me with invaluable insights into effectively managing my farm and its overall business operations,” Ms. Oyesiji stated. “Since implementing the knowledge gained, my business has experienced a remarkable turnaround, demonstrating the practical value of IITA’s support.”
