The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has donated essential farm inputs and equipment to 135 young farmers in Abuja, Nigeria, aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity, improving livelihoods, and supporting food security. The donation, part of the IITA’s Youth in Agribusiness Project (YAS), is supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Nigeria.
The donated items include 148 bags of fish feed, fingerlings, collapsible ponds, fish smoking kilns, broiler starter feed, poultry feed, irrigation kits, 2,000-capacity water tanks, fertilizers, and a chicken plucker designed to remove feathers quickly. These resources target young farmers trained in aquaculture, poultry, horticulture, and other agricultural sectors.
Since its launch in 2023, the YAS project has provided technical and business training to approximately 7,000 young people, helping them to build their skills and grow their agricultural ventures. Aline Mugisho, CEO of the IITA Youth in Agribusiness Office, emphasized that the donation was a follow-up to previous training, business development, and mentorship. She urged the recipients to utilize the items to grow their businesses, assuring that more support would follow if they demonstrated profitable use of the inputs.
Mugisho also highlighted the program’s goal of providing dignified employment opportunities for young people. The YAS project, which is funded by the Netherlands government and run in collaboration with Dutch company BopInc, focuses on scaling up innovative technologies for sustainable food solutions.
Mercy Mayaki, Country Director of BopInc, praised the young farmers for their resilience in the face of a challenging business environment and the temptation to seek opportunities abroad. “Despite the difficulties in the agricultural sector, it’s encouraging to see young people committed to staying in the country and contributing to its growth,” she said.
