Nigeria launches Youth Agribusiness Land Trust Fund to empower 500,000 young farmers

Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Youth Development, in partnership with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and First City Monument Bank (FCMB), unveiled the Youth in Agribusiness Land Trust Fund in Abuja. The programme aims to remove land‑ownership barriers for young entrepreneurs, targeting the creation of 500,000 youth‑led agribusiness enterprises and the training of six million youths over the next three years. It will convert the ministry’s 42 Youth Development Centres into agribusiness hubs that provide training, financing and incubation. At the launch, ten young farmers received one‑million‑naira grants to scale their operations. Youth Development Minister Ayodele Olawande highlighted land access as the biggest obstacle for young Nigerians, while Budget and Economic Planning Minister Atiku Bagudu said the fund will boost agricultural output and exports.

The initiative also includes an AgTech Aggregator Programme from FCMB to support innovative solutions across the value chain, and a dedicated trust mechanism to mobilise land for youth ventures, according to IITA Director‑General Simeon Ehui.