The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) has strengthened its engagement with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to expand youth and women’s participation in Nigeria’s agrifood systems.
The high-level meeting focused on creating more opportunities for young people and women to participate in agricultural policymaking, government programmes and agribusiness development, in line with the Federal Government’s food security agenda.
A major highlight of the engagement was the Nigeria Youth Agriculture Chapter and a proposed network-of-networks approach designed to connect fragmented youth-led agricultural initiatives. The proposed model is expected to provide a unified platform for young agripreneurs to exchange knowledge, access opportunities and contribute to agricultural policymaking.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, CON, who led the Nigerian delegation, expressed support for the greater inclusion of young people and women in agricultural programmes and initiatives.
Kyari emphasised that Nigeria’s agrifood transformation depends on its ability to harness the energy, creativity and innovative potential of young people and women, who constitute a significant proportion of the agricultural workforce but continue to face challenges in accessing finance, land and markets.
He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to moving young people and women from the margins to the centre of agricultural development, stressing the importance of ensuring that they participate not only as beneficiaries but also as leaders in policymaking and agribusiness development.
The FAO delegation, in turn, presented a proposed agricultural education framework covering primary and secondary schools, universities and technical training institutions. The initiative aims to reposition agriculture as a modern, profitable and attractive career option for young Nigerians.
Welcoming the proposal, the minister requested further details on its implementation options and potential areas of collaboration with the government. He noted that introducing agricultural education at an early stage would help reshape perceptions of the sector and nurture a new generation of agricultural leaders.
The meeting also explored ways to support the decentralisation and coordination of the Nigeria Youth Agriculture Chapter and the proposed Youth in Food Systems Forum. Both initiatives are expected to serve as platforms for coordinating youth participation and strengthening engagement across the agrifood sector.
At the end of the engagement, both parties identified the need to designate focal persons and develop a practical follow-up plan involving FAO Nigeria, relevant youth networks and educational institutions.
The proposed measures are expected to facilitate continued collaboration and ensure that the discussions translate into concrete actions that expand opportunities for young people and women across Nigeria’s agrifood systems.
