Security Boost: FG Empowers 37 Young Agripreneurs with N18.5m Start-Up Capital
The Federal Government has taken another step toward strengthening food security and tackling graduate unemployment as the Ogun–Oshun River Basin Development Authority (O-ORBDA) graduated 37 young agripreneurs under its Graduate Youth Empowerment Programme (GYEP) for the 2024/2025 batch. Each participant received part of a collective N18.5 million start-up grant to help them establish agribusinesses that can contribute to the nation’s self-sufficiency drive.
Speaking at the Passing Out Ceremony in Abeokuta, O-ORBDA Managing Director and CEO, Engr. Deji Ashiru, urged the beneficiaries to use their newly acquired skills and financial support to make a meaningful impact on Nigeria’s food production. He described the start-up capital as more than just funding, calling it an “investment in Nigeria’s future” that should be cultivated like a seed to produce abundant results.
The six-month programme trained participants, mostly graduates with agricultural backgrounds, in three critical sectors: poultry production, arable crop cultivation, and fishery development. These sectors, according to Ashiru, remain the backbone of the Federal Government’s food security strategy and a key tool for reducing the country’s dependence on food imports.
Since its inception in 2016, the GYEP scheme has produced over 200 trained agripreneurs across Nigeria, equipping them with practical skills to run viable businesses. Ashiru emphasized that the Authority’s commitment goes beyond training, as continuous mentorship and support would ensure the graduates can thrive in the competitive agribusiness space.
For many of the beneficiaries, the programme represents a lifeline, an opportunity not only to secure their futures but also to play an active role in solving one of Nigeria’s most pressing challenges: feeding its growing population. With youth unemployment rising and food costs surging, initiatives like this underscore the importance of empowering the next generation of farmers to lead the nation’s agricultural transformation.
Source: Leadership