By Victoria Onehi
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari has said that young entrepreneurs would accelerate development in the agriculture sector by driving innovation, creating economic opportunities, and providing enabling environment for productivity and inclusivity.
The Minister disclosed this while speaking at the World Food Forum (WFF) Nigeria Chapter Side Event with theme “Bridging Policy and Innovation: Youth at the Forefront of Agri-Food Transformation.”, held in Rome, Italy, recently.
Kyari stated that transforming a nation’s food system requires aligning national policies with innovation and empowering youth as co-architects of Nigeria’s agricultural future.
The Minister revealed that under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, agriculture has been placed at the center of Nigerias national development agenda.”Food security is more than an economic priority, it is the foundation of national sovereignty and stability.”Kyari said.
He added that through the Renewed Hope vision, the President is driving a bold effort to reinforce confidence in our food systems, strengthen production, and empowering the youth, who will define the future of our agricultural economy.
He stated that the government is strengthening the link between policy and practice, ensuring that strategies are inclusive, data-driven, and shaped by those who live and work within our food systems, especially the youth driving innovation.
He noted that this administration is moving from a top-down approach to one of co-creation, where collaboration replaces prescription and young voices help shape the policies defining our shared present and collective future.
He pointed out the progress made through the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP) as the strategic backbone of a tech-enabled, youth-driven, and commercially viable agricultural ecosystem
He stressed that to sustain this wave of innovation, we must ensure that young agripreneurs have access to the resources needed to scale their ideas. Financing innovation and enterprise remains the catalyst for agricultural transformation. No matter how brilliant our ideas or technologies, without accessible and affordable finance, they can not grow into impact.
In a statement by the, Head, Department of Information,Ezeaja Ikemefuna,the Minister outlined several key government initiatives driving Nigeria’s agricultural transformation, including the operationalisation of the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) and the N1.5 trillion recapitalization of the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), one of the largest agricultural finance commitments in the country’s history.
According to him, these measures will expand access to affordable finance for youth and women-led agribusinesses.
He highlighted the role of Nigerian youth like young innovators namely Samson Ogbole, Femi Adekoya, Atinuke Lebile, and Azeez Salawu played in shaping policy and practice, and pioneering projects in soilless farming, drone technology, biofortified crops, and ecosystem coordination.
He also commended Abdulsalam Umar of Matura Agro for spearheading Nigeria’s first large-scale cultivation of alfalfa grass for export.
Kyari further revealed the procurement of 2,000 tractors and over 9,000 agricultural implements, the largest mechanisation drive in Nigeria’s history aimed at enhancing productivity and creating decent employment opportunities for youth in agribusiness.
‘’The largest mechanisation initiative in Nigeria’s history. This bold intervention will expand access to modern machinery, enhance productivity, and create new opportunities for youth in machinery operation, maintenance, and agribusiness services. It is part of our deliberate effort to make agriculture a field of innovation, dignity, and decent work for the next generation, the Minister added.
He lauded the establishment of the World Food Forum (WFF) Nigeria Chapter.” It’s a bridge between local innovation and global priorities. The platform will unite youth-led organizations, private sector players, research institutions, and government under a shared mission to build resilient food systems’’.
He pointed out that this shared observance reminds us that the pursuit of food security is a universal mission, one that binds every nation, every farmer, and every young innovator. It is a day to reaffirm our collective resolve to build food systems that nourish both people and the planet.
He appealed to partners by saying “Stay with us in de-risking investments, upgrading enterprises, and providing blended finance to expand youth-led agribusiness opportunities.”
He concluded with a call to collective action “Let us build a food-secure, youth-powered, and innovation-driven Nigeria, where every young person with a dream finds in agriculture not a struggle but a pathway to prosperity and national pride.”
