SOBAI Trains 837 Youths In Abuja, Targets 20m By 2030

The Seyi Tinubu Operation Back to Agriculture Initiative (SOBAI) has trained 837 youths at its Kubwa centre in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as part of its efforts to promote agricultural entrepreneurship and food production.

The training and induction ceremony, held recently in Abuja, was organised as part of the initiative’s efforts to equip young people with agricultural skills and promote self-reliance.

The National Coordinator of SOBAI, Emmanuel Bidi, said 1,121 students registered for the Abuja programme, while 837 completed the training. He added that the beneficiaries were awaiting empowerment support to establish their own agricultural businesses.

Bidi said the initiative aimed to help beneficiaries build sustainable enterprises that could create jobs and contribute to food production.

He disclosed that SOBAI, in partnership with Praise Agrovet, had trained and empowered 64,734 youths since its inception across the FCT, Nasarawa, Niger, Kogi, Benue and Kano states.

According to him, the training covers poultry production, fish farming, goat rearing and other agricultural value chains.

The initiative plans to establish and activate 34 training centres with programmes accredited by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), targeting 20 million Nigerian youths by 2030.

It also plans to provide free agricultural training quarterly across the country and establish branded farms in the 36 states to serve as research, training and industrial attachment centres, including for members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

Bidi stressed the importance of quality animal feed, veterinary products and competent personnel in improving livestock health and agricultural productivity.

He also announced the initiative’s target of mobilising five million votes for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in the 2027 general elections.

Bidi said SOBAI would use its youth platforms, training programmes and grassroots networks, in collaboration with the City Boy Movement and other support groups, to drive political advocacy and mobilisation.

He clarified that the five-million-vote figure was a mobilisation target and not a guaranteed electoral outcome, adding that voting remained a personal choice for eligible citizens.

He also said the initiative’s empowerment programmes would be administered in accordance with applicable laws.

Bidi called on government agencies, private-sector partners, community leaders and youth organisations to support agricultural education and entrepreneurship. He urged young Nigerians to embrace agriculture as a means of creating jobs and generating wealth.

He said the initiative’s long-term success would depend on effective implementation, transparent administration, strategic partnerships and lawful political engagement.