“Our activities spread across four states — Oyo, Ogun, Kano, and the FCT. The outreach is designed to expose participants to technological advancements in agriculture and support them to become self-employed.”
By Cyril Mbah, Abuja
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), in collaboration with the youth-focused non-governmental organisation, Farmers Home Foundation (FHF), has intensified its campaign for youth and women participation in modern agricultural practices across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Through the Youth in Sustainable Agro-business Scheme (YAS), the partnership has achieved remarkable success in promoting agribusiness education, practical training, and export readiness among residents of the territory.
The latest beneficiaries of the initiative are residents of Kpaduma Guipa, a community in Asokoro Extension, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), where participants received hands-on training on how to establish small farms for growing edible crops such as vegetables, tomatoes, and cabbages — from nursery to harvest. They were also taught modern techniques for packaging agricultural produce for export.
Speaking during the training, Mr. Olaide Olawoye, the Hub Manager of YAS in the FCT, disclosed that the outreach and advocacy programme has successfully covered several communities across all six area councils — including Kuje, Kwali, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Abaji, and AMAC.
“We engage in training, supporting, and mentoring youth and women in agribusiness,” Olawoye said.
“Our activities spread across four states — Oyo, Ogun, Kano, and the FCT. The outreach is designed to expose participants to technological advancements in agriculture and support them to become self-employed.”
“Our activities spread across four states — Oyo, Ogun, Kano, and the FCT. The outreach is designed to expose participants to technological advancements in agriculture and support them to become self-employed.”
— Oloide Olawoye
In her remarks, the Founder of Farmers Home Foundation, Amb. Dr. Chioma Onyedika Ofornagolu, explained that the one-day advocacy programme featured open-air field demonstrations on innovative small-space gardening using bags and plastic buckets, nursery management, and transplanting techniques for optimal crop growth.
She emphasized that the goal of the initiative is to help participants become self-sufficient by growing healthy food with minimal resources while also learning how to add value and package their produce for export.
“We are creating awareness about how important it is for people to grow their own vegetables and earn money from it.
“Vegetables are in constant demand, and we are teaching them how to preserve and process perishable produce into exportable products. Since electricity supply is unstable, we focus on alternative preservation and value addition methods to reduce post-harvest losses.”
“We are creating awareness about how important it is for people to grow their own vegetables and earn money from it.
“Vegetables are in constant demand, and we are teaching them how to preserve and process perishable produce into exportable products. Since electricity supply is unstable, we focus on alternative preservation and value addition methods to reduce post-harvest losses.”
She added that the programme encourages young Nigerians to embrace farming as a viable path to wealth creation rather than depending on unavailable white-collar jobs.
“Everybody eats, and that makes agriculture one of the most sustainable ways to make money,” she stressed.
“Everybody eats, and that makes agriculture one of the most sustainable ways to make money,”
Community leaders in Kpaduma Guipa commended IITA and Farmers Home Foundation for bringing the programme to their community.
Elder Samuel Wakili, a community leader, praised the organisers for empowering local farmers with new knowledge and urged the government to provide fertilizers and farm inputs to sustain productivity.
Similarly, the traditional ruler of Kpaduma Guipa, the Sakpadunayi, Amb. Dr. Yusuf Dio (represented by Mr. Dantani Bawa), lauded the initiative, describing it as timely given the rising cost of living. He prayed for its continuity and called on government authorities to support rural farmers with essential agricultural tools and incentives.
