Nigeria has rolled out a new programme aimed at easing one of the sector’s most persistent bottlenecks for young farmers: getting access to land. The Federal Ministry of Youth Development (FMYD), working with the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), launched the National Youth in Agribusiness Land Trust Fund (YiALTF) with the goal of expanding land access and creating room for youth-led agribusiness growth.
Quick facts
- The YiALTF is launched by Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Youth Development in partnership with IITA.
- The initiative targets more than 500,000 young Nigerians building sustainable agribusiness enterprises.
- First City Monument Bank (FCMB) supports the programme.
- It was unveiled in Abuja on Monday, June 1.
- The launch drew government officials, development partners, financial institutions, youth organisations, and agricultural stakeholders.
The YiALTF was presented in Abuja on Monday, June 1, during a high-level meeting that brought together federal officials, development partners, banks, youth groups and other stakeholders from across Nigeria’s agricultural ecosystem. Backers framed the fund as a structured mechanism to help young people obtain land for productive farming, while also widening access to financing and support that can help enterprises scale.
Organisers said the trust fund is designed not only to unlock land, but also to strengthen innovation, entrepreneurship and wealth-building across the agribusiness value chain. The programme is positioned as an effort to connect youth with both local and international market opportunities, supported by pathways intended to improve enterprise development and job creation.
At the launch, Youth Development Minister Ayodele Olawande described the initiative as a meaningful move toward changing how young Nigerians engage with agriculture. He said the government wants to train more than six million young people in the coming years, adding that it also aims to back at least 500,000 youth-led agribusinesses.
“We want to support at least 500,000 youth-led agribusinesses and connect young Nigerians to local and international markets,” Olawande said. He argued that agriculture can generate millions of jobs, boost food output, reduce poverty and speed up economic growth, but noted that limited land access remains a major obstacle for young people—an issue YiALTF is meant to tackle.
Land access and enterprise financing
Senator Atiku Bagudu, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, called the launch a reflection of Nigeria’s collective commitment to empowering a new generation of entrepreneurs and strengthening the agricultural sector. He said the programme is expected to reduce long-standing difficulties around land ownership and access, helping youth-run agribusinesses to operate and expand.
Representing FCMB, Kudzai Gumunyu, Divisional Head for Agribusiness and Non-Oil Export, reiterated the bank’s focus on making agriculture more attractive, profitable and easier to finance for young people. He said the sector’s future will depend on how well financing and support systems are structured around the realities faced by young participants and the broader industry.
Gumunyu emphasised that agriculture should be treated as a modern, technology-led business rather than a traditional activity alone. He pointed to opportunities tied to logistics, processing, commodity trading, mechanisation, digital platforms and innovation, arguing that these areas can broaden the economic case for youth involvement.
He also highlighted a key financing gap: while young Nigerians have the creativity, energy and ability to adopt technology, many still lack the collateral and funding structures required to secure support. In response, Gumunyu referenced FCMB’s AgTech Aggregator Programme, which is intended to encourage young innovators to create workable solutions to practical problems across the agricultural value chain.
“Building the right ecosystem is critical,” Gumunyu said. He added that the future of Nigerian agriculture should be youth-led, climate-smart, market-oriented and innovation-enabled, and argued that partnerships are needed to improve access to capital, technical assistance, technology and market opportunities.
Government, development partners and private sector
Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), praised the collaboration between government, development institutions and private sector partners. He said the initiative would help cultivate a new cohort of agripreneurs capable of reshaping Nigeria’s agricultural landscape.
The Federal Ministry of Youth Development and IITA also acknowledged FCMB and other partners for backing youth empowerment and agricultural transformation efforts in Nigeria. Organisers said the event attracted representatives from development agencies, donor organisations, state governments, financial institutions, youth networks, agribusiness stakeholders and NYSC members, all aligning around the aim of building a more inclusive and prosperous agricultural future.
The programme’s launch coincided with a group photo featuring senior officials and partner representatives, including the NYSC Director-General Brig. Gen. Olakunle Nafiu and FCMB’s Kudzai Gumunyu, among others. Another photo at the event showed additional participants from state youth leadership roles, the Federal Ministry of Youth Development and procurement-related oversight, reinforcing the broad coalition behind the YiALTF launch at Abuja Continental Hotel on June 1, 2026.
