…agribusiness panacea to youth unemployment – NYSC DG

By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – AS agribusiness remains in the front burner, Leventis Foundation Nigeria, Thursday, asserted that it is pertinent to equip youth with resilience, creativity and access to finance.

This was stated by the Chairman, Leventis Foundation Nigeria, Ahmed Mantey, at the Agricultural Youth Summit 2025 held in Abuja, with the theme ‘Building Youth & Agripreneurs Resilience for Agribusiness through Targeted Upskilling and Innovative Agri-finance Mechanisms’, jointly organized by the Leventis Foundation Nigeria and the National Youth Service Corps NYSC.

Mantey pointing at the theme stressed that the youth remain the backbone of the agricultural sector, and disclosed that the Foundation has trained over 31,000 youths and farmers in modern agricultural entrepreneurship skills to achieve food sufficiency in Nigeria.

According to him, through various initiatives, the Foundation has successfully trained and equipped the over 31,000 young Nigerians and farmers in modern agriculture and entrepreneurship across its training schools located in Abuja, Kaduna, Osun, Kano, and Imo States, and added that many of the beneficiaries are now employers of labour, business owners, and key contributors to food security across Nigeria and beyond.

For over three decades, the Leventis Group has remained deeply invested in Nigeria’s agricultural and human capital development. Through the Leventis Foundation Nigeria, established in 1988, its mission has been clear: to build the capacity of young Nigerians to become self-reliant, productive, and impactful in the agricultural sector.

He said: “This Summit stands as a beacon of that belief — providing a platform for dialogue, innovation, and policy alignment that can unlock the potential of Nigeria’s agribusiness ecosystem.

“It captures the essence of what we must do as a nation — to equip our young people not just with skills, but with resilience, creativity, and access to resources that will enable them to thrive in a rapidly changing agricultural landscape.

“Building resilience means empowering young people to adapt, innovate, and persevere — to see beyond obstacles and seize the opportunities that agribusiness offers.”

Meanwhile, speaking on the partnership with the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, he said, “Our partnership with institutions like the NYSC further demonstrates our belief that youths are not just the leaders of tomorrow; they are the builders of today.”

However, he noted that access to finance remains a major challenge for young agripreneurs, hence the Foundation continues to engage with partners including development banks, agri-finance institutions, and private investors to design innovative mechanisms that can help young farmers start, scale, and sustain their agribusinesses.

He further stated that creating an enabling environment where finance, technology, and policy support converge is crucial to driving youth-led agricultural transformation.

“At Leventis Foundation Nigeria, we believe in targeted upskilling equipping youths not only with practical farm skills, but also with entrepreneurial and managerial competencies that make them competitive in today’s economy.

 “We are deliberate about this, as we have just signed an MoU with the Abuja Enterprise Agency to provide effective business development services to our agricultural trainees and alumni.

“This summit underscores the power of partnership — between the public and private sectors, academia and industry, and institutions like the Leventis Foundation and NYSC”, he added.

Therefore, the Leventis Foundation Nigeria boss emphasized the need for continued investment in Nigeria’s youth, describing them as the nation’s greatest asset and most renewable resource.

“The vibrancy, creativity, and resilience of Nigerian youth are unmatched. If properly harnessed, they hold the key to unlocking not just food security but also national prosperity”, he said.

In his remarks, the Director-General, NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, represented by the Director, Ventures Management, NYSC, Dr Abe Dankaro, noted that Nigeria, like many nations faces the dual challenge of high youth unemployment and growing concerns over food security.

“Yet, in every challenge lies an opportunity. Today, that opportunity is agribusiness — a sector rich in potential but in need of young minds to drive its transformation”, Gen Nafiu said.

He also described the Leventis Foundation Nigeria as a visionary institution with a long-standing legacy in agricultural education and youth empowerment.

Since the signing of the MoU between the NYSC and Leventis Foundation Nigeria in 2021, the partnership has blossomed into one of the most impactful collaborations under the NYSC’s Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Programme (SAED).

Through this partnership, corps members have been exposed to modern agricultural training, internships, and agribusiness development programs at Leventis Foundation Nigeria’s renowned agricultural schools across the country.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director, Leventis Foundation Nigeria, Dr Hope Usieta, said the organization continues to train youths across Nigeria in various aspects of agriculture and agribusiness through its six training centers.

Usieta, however, acknowledged that despite these interventions, challenges remain — particularly in access to agri-finance for smallholder farmers and their preparedness to manage such funding effectively.

“There is still a critical need to advance solutions that address limited access to finance and strengthen the capacity of smallholder farmers to utilize agri-finance efficiently”, he added.