Olaopa outlines strategies to enhance youth, women participation in agribusiness

The Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Prof. Tunji Olaopa, has outlined measures to remove barriers hindering the participation of youths, women, and other groups in agribusiness.

Speaking in Abuja at the High-Level Dialogue of the African Development Bank (AfDB) on Bridging the Gap: Access to Finance & Empowering Youth and Women for Agribusiness Success, Olaopa commended the AfDB’s sustained commitment to empowering these groups, noting the renewed momentum under Dr. Akinwumi Adesina’s leadership as President of the Bank.

He stressed that agribusiness growth in Nigeria requires dismantling systemic barriers limiting access to finance, resources, and knowledge. Increased grants, he said, would help young people and women adopt innovations and modern technologies, while policy interventions are necessary to de-risk lending to new agribusiness entrepreneurs.

Olaopa also called for mentorship from established agribusiness players, incentives to attract such mentors, equal access to land and markets, and stronger collaboration between government, industry, civil society, and development partners to address systemic challenges.

Minister of Youth Development, Mr. Ayodele Olawande, urged young Nigerians to become job creators rather than seeking government employment. He disclosed that the government was working with the AfDB on a proposal to address key challenges faced by youths.

Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Atiku Bagudu, emphasised the need to treat agribusiness as a viable commercial sector rather than a subsistence activity. He noted that the National Economic Council had approved a ward-based development programme under the Renewed Hope Agenda to support agricultural activities across the country.

Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Maiha, announced the rollout of a livestock initiative targeting 37,000 youths and women in the 36 states and the FCT. The scheme will provide animals and agricultural inputs to boost food security, increase incomes, and improve livestock productivity.

Special Adviser to the President on Livestock, Prof. Attahiru Jega, described the AfDB’s policy dialogue as overdue, stressing the need for strategies that address agribusiness challenges while supporting national development.