The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, and MasterCard Foundation have urged the organised private sector to create profitable partnerships with youth-led agribusinesses to transform and revolutionise the agricultural industry and unlock opportunities in the sector.
A statement said the organisations made this known at the ‘The Agribusiness Investment Forum” organised by Innovative Youth in Agriculture.
Speaking at the event, the Deputy Director-General, Corporate Services, IITA, Hilde Koper, said that though the institute has done a lot in scaling technologies and innovations while providing the much-needed capacity, the knowledge, and skills required to attract youth participation in agriculture, there is support from investors to help retain their interest in the sector.
While singling out Mastercard Foundation for providing necessary funding for agribusiness training, Koper stated that it had become significant for the private sector to come in by offering loans or microcredit to youth-led enterprises to scale their businesses.
She said successful youth-led agribusinesses were also a viable employment opportunity for Nigerian youths.
Also speaking at the occasion, the Country Head, Mastercard Foundation-Nigeria, Chidinma Lawanson, stated that the foundation aims to leverage the youth population in Africa to deliver on the target of providing seven million dignified and fulfilling jobs in the agricultural sector.
She noted that IITA is a strategic partner in the realization of this overall objective.
