Five years after its launch, the Agriculture (I-Youth) initiative is emerging as one of Nigeria’s most impactful youth empowerment programmes, redefining how young people engage with agriculture—not as a last resort, but as a thriving business opportunity and pathway to dignified livelihoods.
Launched in 2020, I-Youth set out to equip young Nigerians aged 15–35 with practical technical skills, entrepreneurial capacity, and business acumen to either establish their own agribusinesses or secure decent employment across the agrifood value chain. Implemented across Kano, Kaduna, Lagos, Jigawa, and Adamawa States, the initiative adopted a deliberate focus on inclusion, ensuring that women, vulnerable groups, and persons with disabilities were not left behind.
At the Phase I close-out ceremony, the Director-General of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and CGIAR Regional Director for Continental Africa, Dr. Simeon Ehui, described I-Youth as a compelling example of what strategic investment in young people can achieve.
“I-Youth demonstrates what happens when vision, partnership, and opportunity converge. When young people are given skills, mentorship, and access to markets, they do not just seek jobs; they create them,” Dr. Ehui said.
He attributed the programme’s success to a strong and coordinated partnership involving the Mastercard Foundation, state governments, private sector actors, training institutions, and community leaders. According to him, these collaborations translated into tangible outcomes, including the establishment of 36,053 youth-led agribusinesses, the development of agribusiness parks, innovation hubs, and cooperative clusters designed to enhance productivity, innovation, and market access.
Also speaking at the event, the Country Director of the Mastercard Foundation in Nigeria, Ms. Rosy Fynn, highlighted I-Youth as a critical contributor to the Foundation’s Young Africa Works strategy, which aims to enable 10 million young Nigerians to access dignified and fulfilling work.
“I-Youth has been a major contributor to our goal of enabling millions of Nigerians to build sustainable livelihoods. The numbers reached represent real lives transformed, resilient households, and stronger communities,” she noted.
Ms. Fynn also praised the Start Them Early Programme (STEP), an innovative component of I-Youth that targeted secondary school students and their families, enabling them to establish more than 5,900 home-grown agribusiness ventures. The initiative, she said, is planting the seeds of entrepreneurship early while strengthening household food security.
Beyond statistics, the impact of I-Youth was vividly brought to life through testimonies from past participants. Olumide Garuba, a beneficiary from Lagos State, shared how the programme helped him formalise his agribusiness, improve productivity, and transition from a solo entrepreneur into an employer of labour.
Similarly, Mariam Abass from Kaduna State recounted how I-Youth empowered her to break through gender barriers in agribusiness. With new skills and confidence, she rebuilt her poultry enterprise, expanded operations, and now supports other women in her community to start and sustain their own businesses.
Panel discussions during the ceremony focused on inclusive agribusiness models and strategies for scaling youth-led enterprises. Speakers emphasised the urgent need for improved access to finance, stronger market linkages, and sustained post-training support—particularly for women and persons with disabilities, who often face compounded barriers within the agrifood system.
As Phase I of I-Youth officially concludes, stakeholders reaffirmed their commitment to sustaining and scaling the most impactful elements of the model. Encouragingly, lessons learned from Nigeria are already shaping similar youth-focused agribusiness initiatives in Sierra Leone and Liberia, underscoring I-Youth’s growing regional influence and its potential as a blueprint for youth-driven agricultural transformation in Africa.
With thousands of young people now positioned as entrepreneurs, innovators, and job creators, I-Youth stands as a powerful testament to what is possible when agriculture is reimagined through the lens of opportunity, inclusion, and youth leadership.
