To fulfill the IITA Youth Agripreneurs’ (IYA) mandate to drive youth participation in agriculture for improved food systems and job creation, many beneficiaries of the various projects in the unit have continued to make significant contributions to agricultural productivity through their various enterprises.
In addition to training in the value chains of various commodities, including poultry, aquaculture, livestock, horticulture, cassava, maize, yam, and groundnuts, beneficiaries have also been supported to start or scale up their enterprises.
Many beneficiaries in over 17 countries have thriving enterprises in fish production and processing, cassava production and processing, livestock farming, poultry farming, and groundnut production and processing, among many others.
Since the program’s inception in 2012, success stories of young farmers strengthening food security and creating wealth through their businesses abound across the continent.
For example, in the bustling Nigerian city of Lagos, the CEO of Farm2Fill Enterprises, Evelyn Areo, stands as a testament to the transformative power of determination, innovation, and the potential of a meager NG₦10,000 (US$11) seed capital invested with the right knowledge and mentoring.
Areo, a young agribusiness owner, has, since the commencement of her business in 2021, contributed to the availability of processed foods nationally and internationally. As of 2023, her once modest startup has blossomed into a thriving business, generating an impressive ₦28,000,000 (about $17,000) in revenue.
Farm2Fill, which has provided full-time and part-time employment for four youths and six women, produces spicy kulikuli, tasty smoked fish, processed snails and rabbits, and several other products in local stores across Nigeria and other locations abroad. Meanwhile, her venture into the value-addition component of the value chain has helped reduce food wastage and made options available to many, including Nigerians living abroad.
With a monthly revenue of ₦2,000,000 ($1,250), Areo’s business sustains itself and has become a channel for empowering others. She has gone beyond the conventional bounds of entrepreneurship by actively assisting ten youths in building their unique brands using Farm2Fill products. Areo’s mentorship has also ignited a spark of entrepreneurship in these individuals, allowing them to carve their respective paths in agribusiness.
Similarly, in Zaria, Kaduna State, Mariam Abass has become a beacon of hope and resilience for women in agriculture. At IYA’s agribusiness park, Mariam and her cooperative members have transformed a 2,000-bird (layers) capacity into a thriving enterprise contributing significantly to the local economy.
Operating seamlessly within the agribusiness park, Mariam and her team distribute an impressive 322 crates of eggs weekly, meeting the demands of local retailers and establishing themselves as key players in the region’s poultry industry. Their enterprise has helped to bridge the demand for eggs in their locality while creating job opportunities for retailers and marketers.
In Ibadan, Oyo State, Nurudeen Farayola, who rears turkeys, chickens, goats, rams, rabbits, and ducks, also contributes to the availability of eggs and these varieties in the local market.
Rather than stay on one breed of livestock, Farayola, who benefitted from the training by one of the projects in the unit, said he decided to diversify so that the wealth of knowledge he had gained would not be lost and he could increase his income.
Since the creation of the IYA, there have been more than one million participants, while youth-led agribusinesses created, spanning the entire value chain, especially production and processing, are over 12,500, all contributing to food security in their various locations. In addition, the innovations by some of the beneficiaries are improving food systems, including safe processing and distribution.
Contributed by IITA Youth in Agribusiness Office
Other Resources:
I-Youth Agribusiness Park | Encouraging Collaborative Growth (youtube.com)
Awala Women: Pioneering Change in Local Milk Production (youtube.com)
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