Agro-Industry Stakeholders Urged to Collaborate, Empower Youth for Economic Growth

Stakeholders in the agro-industry have been advised by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), commercial banks, and other partners to collaborate, invest, and empower youths in order to make the sector economically viable and productive.

 This recommendation was made during the Agribusiness Investors Network event organized by the Innovative Youth in Agriculture (I-Youth) at Ecobank headquarters in Lagos.

The event was a collaboration between IITA, Mastercard Foundation, and Ecobank, with several other major commercial banks also in attendance.

Ken Dashiell, the Deputy Director of General Partnership for Partnership and Delivery at IITA, emphasized the importance of stakeholders working together to empower youth and transform Nigeria’s food system.

Dashiell highlighted the need for appropriate policies and programs to attract young people to the agricultural sector, while Bolaji Lawal, the Managing Director and Regional Executive of Ecobank Nigeria, expressed the bank’s commitment to supporting investments that stimulate economic growth and empower Nigerian youth.

Lawal emphasized the bank’s readiness to tap into the potential of the energetic young population by offering incentives to make agriculture an attractive venture for them.

Areo Evelyn, the CEO of Farm2Fill Enterprises and a beneficiary of the I-Youth Project, shared how her participation in IITA’s training program significantly influenced her entrepreneurial journey, enabling her to supply various agricultural products to local and international markets.