Plateau State delegation explores deeper agricultural collaboration with IITA
18 mars 2026
Plateau seeks IYA’s support for youth engagement in agriculture
At the IITA Youth in Agribusiness (IYA) Unit, Gutap commended the institute’s agribusiness park model, which provides young entrepreneurs with hands-on training and access to modern production facilities. He revealed that the Plateau State Government would adopt this model and aggregate its moribund facilities to serve agricultural training and agribusiness centers. “It’s heartwarming that some of these facilities can be revived for such a purpose,” he said. “We are highly interested in engaging our youth in agriculture,” Gutap said, noting that capacity building, technology transfer, and entrepreneurship support could help position young people to pursue profitable agribusiness opportunities. Members of the delegation also highlighted the potential impact of youth-focused agricultural programs in addressing unemployment and reducing risky livelihood options such as illegal or artisanal mining, which has contributed to environmental degradation in parts of the state. In response, IYA’s Partnership and Stakeholder Engagement Manager, Adetola Adenmosun, reaffirmed the unit’s readiness to collaborate with Plateau State to strengthen youth participation in agriculture. She noted that one of IYA’s programs supported by the Mastercard Foundation is expected to expand to the state following earlier scoping engagements. The delegation also toured IYA’s screenhouses, where various vegetables are cultivated, gaining firsthand insight into the practical training environment designed to prepare young agripreneurs for modern agriculture. The delegation toured several IITA facilities, including laboratories and training centers, gaining firsthand insight into technologies such as tissue culture and innovative seed multiplication systems. Discussions around the potato value chain were particularly significant, as the Plateau State Government is currently establishing a tissue culture laboratory to strengthen seed production and improve crop performance. The visit concluded with both parties agreeing to establish a technical working group to identify priority interventions and develop a coordinated plan for collaboration and implementation. Proposed areas of cooperation include soil health mapping, improved seed dissemination, plant disease diagnostics, capacity building, and youth agribusiness programs. Delegates expressed optimism that the partnership will help scale research innovations from laboratories to farmers’ fields. By aligning scientific expertise with local agricultural priorities, Plateau State and IITA aim to strengthen agricultural value chains—from seed and soil management to training, agribusiness development, and market access—ultimately improving livelihoods and food security in the state. Contributed by Folake Oduntan and Babatunde AjajaContribué par
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