IITA, Mastercard Foundation partner to drive youth participation in agriculture

By Fatima Saka
 
The Innovative Youth in Agriculture (I-Youth) project implemented by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in partnership with Mastercard Foundation is expected to drive youth’s active participation for agricultural development.

In a statement made on the IITA’s website, the project is extending agribusiness training to secondary school students in Kano, Kaduna, and Lagos State.
 
The I-Youth, through the Start Them Early Program (STEP) component of the project, over the last 18 months, devised several approaches towards attracting students to participate in various activities organised for them to learn modern agriculture in schools and identify career opportunities in the sector.
 
The statement stated that STEP in I-Youth adopted the hybrid model, which focuses on using the younger youth as agents of agricultural transformation within the school system and in the communities in which they live.
 
“The approach is all-encompassing, with students, parents, schools, and the communities benefitting from the opportunities offered by STEP,” in the statement.
 
However, this approach incorporates e-learning using audiovisual materials for foundational agriculture training and practical learning by establishing pilot enterprises at the schools and community levels.
 
STEP also integrates extracurricular school clubs and youth outreach services through visits to successful agribusiness enterprises and firms, student competitions and debates, school farm open days and the likes.
 
The student competition tagged, “STEP Agri-competition,” is the first of its kind in Lagos State and has become popular as I-Youth prepares to hold the competition’s final stage in March 2022.
 
I-Youth Executive Manager, Aline Mugisho, uttered that the competition would propel the students into channeling deliberate efforts into identifying a career in agriculture, acquiring knowledge, and developing the right attitude towards agriculture. It will build resilience and determination to develop a mindset focused on agriculture research and development.
 
“The competition in Lagos State is a pilot phase. We are devising all means to ensure we change the perception of young people about agriculture. This competition will be extended to Kaduna and Kano states, and our dream is to make it a national competition like other competitions of its kind,” Mugisho expressed.