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The Federal Government has launched the Youth in Agribusiness Land Trust Fund (YiALTF), a major initiative aimed at tackling youth unemployment, boosting food production, and improving access to farmland for young Nigerians.
The programme, unveiled in Abuja by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development in collaboration with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and financial institutions, is designed to provide young people with land, training, financing, technology, mentorship, and market opportunities needed to succeed in agribusiness.
The government says the initiative will support more than six million young Nigerians and create a new generation of agricultural entrepreneurs across the country
Speaking at the launch, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, said limited access to land remains one of the biggest challenges preventing young Nigerians from participating meaningfully in agriculture.
According to him, many of Nigeria’s long-standing communal conflicts, security challenges, and disputes between farmers and herders are linked to poor land management and increasing competition over land resources.
Bagudu stressed that Nigeria cannot achieve food security or agricultural transformation without addressing land access issues and creating opportunities for young people to engage in modern farming and agribusiness.
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He added that the government is working with state and local governments to develop a coordinated framework for land management and economic development across the country’s 8,809 wards.
The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, described the initiative as a strategic response to unemployment and limited economic opportunities facing millions of Nigerian youths.
He noted that more than 70 per cent of Nigeria’s population is under the age of 30, making youth empowerment critical to the country’s future.
According to him, agriculture today extends far beyond traditional farming and includes technology, processing, logistics, marketing, exports, and innovation across the value chain.
Olawande said many young people have been discouraged from entering the agricultural sector because of difficulties in accessing land, insecurity, boundary disputes, and lack of financial support.
He revealed that the ministry had identified unused lands within youth development centres nationwide that could be transformed into agricultural hubs under the programme.
The minister disclosed that the initiative aims to train more than six million young Nigerians over the next three years while supporting at least 500,000 youth-owned agribusiness enterprises.
Beneficiaries will receive training, mentorship, financial assistance, technological support, and access to domestic and international markets.
He emphasized that the programme is not merely about allocating land but about creating an enabling environment that allows young entrepreneurs to build sustainable and profitable businesses.
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