By Faridat Salifu
For years, the youth in Nigeria’s South-South region have struggled to access funding for agribusiness, not because of a lack of ideas or commitment, but largely due to weak structures and poor governance frameworks that discourage financiers.
This concern took centre stage in Uyo on Friday as stakeholders inaugurated the Akwa Ibom State chapter of the South-South Youth in Agriculture, with officials stressing that building strong institutional frameworks was the only way to unlock steady funding for youth-led projects.
Mr Howard Usen, South-South Coordinator of the Nigerian Agribusiness and Agro-Industry Development Initiative (NAADI), said many youth associations collapse or fail to attract investment because they lack covenants and operational standards recognised by development partners.
“If you don’t have structure and good covenants, most organisations will not fund you. But once these are in place, it becomes easier for agencies and investors to support you,” Usen explained, adding that NAADI would help the new body align with global best practices in cooperative management and accountability.
The initiative is working with the Federation of Agricultural Communities of Nigeria to ensure youth groups are not only trained in technical agriculture but also in record keeping, financial management, and compliance with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) templates.
Development finance experts at the Central Bank of Nigeria also echoed this view. Mr Obinna Inyiama, Head of Development Finance at the CBN’s Uyo branch, said the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme had enough room for young farmers, but only groups with proper documentation and governance could truly benefit.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Offiong Offor, pointed out that Akwa Ibom youths had previously excelled in cassava yield competitions and other innovation-driven programmes, but warned that sustainability required more than skill it needed planning, consistency, and timely engagement with government.
The inauguration climaxed with the swearing-in of the new executive led by Mr Sylvester Sunday, who pledged to rally more young people into structured agribusiness ventures.
Observers say the development could mark a turning point for South-South youths, who have often been sidelined in national funding schemes due to credibility gaps.
With structure now at the heart of the movement, experts believe the region’s youths stand a better chance of attracting credit, scaling productivity, and positioning agriculture as a pathway out of unemployment.