Federal Govt To Expand Youth Agribusiness Model

The federal government has signalled plans to expand youth-led agribusiness through the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises in the Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) model as a national framework for food systems transformation.

Minister of agriculture and food security, Abubakar Kyari, announced the commitment during a workshop to scale-up LIFE-ND in Abuja.

The minister said Nigeria stood at a defining moment as young people increasingly drive innovation across the agrifood sector, from digital marketplaces and precision farming to agro-processing and climate-smart production.

He acknowledged, however, that youth participation remained uneven due to persistent barriers such as limited access to land, finance, skills and markets.

According to Kyari, the federal government was determined to change that narrative by deliberately scaling youth agripreneurship nationwide, aligning agriculture with President Bola Tinubu’s economic reform agenda.

He noted that agriculture had been repositioned as a core pillar of national development, supported by policy reforms, strategic investments and stronger partnerships with the private sector and development partners, adding that the LIFE-ND has provided clear evidence that youth-led agribusiness could deliver jobs, food security and inclusive growth if expanded sustainably.

He said, “Today, we come together with one huge focus to change the narrative and scale up youth agripreneurship across our country. Our young people are ready to transform agrifood systems, create dignified livelihoods and drive inclusive economic growth.

“The LIFE-ND Project is a testament that when policy aligns with purpose, youth-led agribusiness can deliver jobs, food security and sustainable prosperity. “The challenge before us now is to scale up quickly, inclusively and sustainably.”

Earlier, the permanent secretary of the ministry, Dr Marcus Ogunbiyi, described the gathering as a renewed national commitment to transform agriculture from subsistence into a competitive enterprise driven by young Nigerians.

He said the presence of multiple ministers and partners underscored the cross-sectoral nature of food systems transformation, linking agriculture with youth empowerment, gender inclusion, regional development and financing.

Ogunbiyi said LIFE-ND, jointly implemented by the ministry, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), had emerged as a national model for agripreneurship incubation.

He highlighted the project’s structured approach combining skills training, mentorship, access to technology, market linkages and enterprise development, which he said had shifted youth engagement from training to sustainable business creation.

Presenting the project’s achievements, the national project coordinator of LIFE-ND, Abiodun Sanni, said the initiative had trained more than 29,600 youths and women across nine Niger Delta states and created over 23,700 direct jobs.

He said beneficiaries had contributed over 122,000 metric tonnes of food to national supply, while injecting more than N31 billion into rural economies.

Sanni outlined plans to scale the model nationwide through expanded financing, digital platforms, value-chain prioritisation and partnerships aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda.