Nigeria has launched a new youth agribusiness programme targeting 143,000 young people for dignified and fulfilling work across the country’s food and agriculture economy, with young women expected to account for 70 per cent of those reached by the initiative’s employment target.
The Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture (YEFFA) programme was officially launched in Abuja on October 8, 2026, by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi. The initiative is backed by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and the Mastercard Foundation as part of a wider Pan-African partnership aimed at expanding employment opportunities for young people.
YEFFA will operate in the Federal Capital Territory and Niger, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Ogun and Oyo states, focusing on maize, rice, soybean, horticulture and aquaculture. Its approach extends beyond primary farming to activities such as processing, aggregation, logistics, marketing, technology, seed production, irrigation and agricultural advisory services.
The Nigerian programme’s 143,000-person target represents a planned employment outcome, not a declaration that those jobs have already been created. Reports on the launch also indicate a broader ambition to reach 160,000 young people through outreach and support 153,000 into work-related opportunities, with the 143,000 target specifically focused on dignified and fulfilling work.
The programme’s first major activity brought together 150 participants, including 100 young people, alongside government representatives, financiers, private-sector leaders and development partners. The two-day convening gave young agripreneurs an opportunity to identify the barriers they face and present their priorities to institutions expected to support implementation.
Access to finance emerged as a central concern. Digital polling at the event showed that 44 per cent of respondents selected financing as their top investment priority, followed by youth leadership and inclusion at 20 per cent, and technology and innovation at 17 per cent. Participants also ranked mentorship and coaching as their preferred intervention, ahead of affordable financing and practical skills training.
These priorities reflect a wider challenge facing young agribusiness operators in Nigeria: entering agriculture is not simply a matter of gaining access to land or learning how to cultivate crops. Businesses also need working capital, dependable buyers, storage and processing facilities, insurance, technical knowledge and the ability to withstand production and market risks.
At the launch, Ayodeji Sotinrin, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank of Agriculture, said the bank had financed more than 500,000 farmers in the previous year. He pledged to work with AGRA and the Mastercard Foundation on a dedicated financing mechanism for YEFFA participants. The commitment could become an important part of the programme, although its eventual impact will depend on the financing terms, eligibility requirements, disbursement process and number of young businesses actually supported.
The initiative is part of a broader AGRA-Mastercard Foundation partnership intended to expand dignified and fulfilling work across African agrifood systems. AGRA describes the wider initiative as a $350 million programme targeting 1.5 million young people for work opportunities across participating countries. These continental figures are distinct from the targets set for Nigeria.
NBF Insight
YEFFA enters Nigeria’s agricultural economy with an ambitious employment target, but its real test will be whether support translates into viable businesses and sustained incomes. Training programmes alone cannot make agribusiness attractive to young people if they cannot secure affordable capital, access reliable markets or protect their investments against weather, price and production risks.
The focus on maize, rice, soybean, horticulture and aquaculture provides a practical starting point because these value chains connect primary production with processing, distribution and food consumption. However, implementation must create opportunities across the entire chain rather than concentrate support only on farmers. Young people can build businesses in cold storage, aggregation, equipment services, logistics, digital marketplaces, input distribution and food processing, provided the programme connects them to customers and financing.
The proposed financing mechanism with the Bank of Agriculture will therefore deserve close scrutiny. Transparent eligibility rules, accessible loan terms, timely disbursement and measurable business outcomes will matter more than announcements alone. The same applies to the 70 per cent target for young women: participation figures should ultimately be accompanied by evidence of access to capital, business growth and lasting employment.
For Nigeria, the opportunity is to treat youth agribusiness as an engine of enterprise development and food-system investment, not merely a response to unemployment. YEFFA has established its ambition. Its credibility will depend on how many young people build sustainable livelihoods and how many businesses continue operating after programme support ends.
