The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has supported about 70 young farmers in Oyo State with essential farm inputs and equipment under its Youth in Agribusiness Project.
At the distribution event held at the IITA headquarters in Ibadan, beneficiaries received items such as solar irrigation systems, improved cassava stems, rotary slashers, defeathering machines, fertilizers, improved maize seeds, gari fryers, vegetable seeds, fish and poultry feed, seedling trays, coco peat, generators, knapsack sprayers, and gari pressers.
Representing IITA’s senior management, Prof. Michael Abberton urged the beneficiaries to leverage the support network provided through the project. “Your businesses will scale up and create employment through expansion,” he said, highlighting the potential impact across multiple value chains including cassava, poultry, fish, and horticulture.
CEO of IITA Youth Agripreneurs, Aline Mugisho, represented by business development expert Idowu Osun, emphasized the project’s commitment to mentorship and growth opportunities. “Agribusiness is big business, and we are here to support you,” she said.
Project Coordinator Adebayo Awotodunbo thanked the Kingdom of the Netherlands for funding the initiative and warned that improper use or resale of the inputs would result in removal from the scheme.
One of the beneficiaries, Ayomikun Oyesiji, praised the training, saying it gave her valuable insights into farm and business management, which have since helped improve her agribusiness.
