The Federal Government will this Friday launch the youth farmers’ enrollment portal under its Nigerian Youth Economic Engagement and De-Radicalisation Programme (NIYEEDEP), as part of its ongoing efforts to address the rising rate of youth unemployment in the country.
The initiative aligns with the government’s recently unveiled 24-month Action Plan to create 20 million jobs for Nigerian youths through an entrepreneurship revolution.
Specifically, the NIYEEDEP scheme targets key sectors, including agriculture, agro-allied industries, food and beverage, technology, entertainment, and renewable energy, among others; and one of the sub-entrepreneurship interventions of the scheme – the ‘Youth Farmers’ Cooperative Scheme’ – is designed to create 12 million youth farmers during the two-year period..
Speaking on the progress made so far preparatory to the formal launching of the portal, the National Coordinator of NIYEEDEP, Comrade Kennedy Iyere, told the Minister for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, in Abuja that the portal would facilitate a seamless process for approval and grant allocation to qualified applicants.
Iyere, who made this disclosure to the minister at a forum which had in attendance the American Association of Grants Writers, Mr. Marc Paley and Ms Staci Smith, African Representatives for Bayern Munich Football Club, Mr Victor Edeh, projected that the programme would create direct jobs in key sectors of the economy.
He said: “The programme seeks to empower young Nigerians by creating direct jobs in key sectors such as agriculture, agro-allied industries, technology, the creative economy, and sports,” he said.
“The portal, which will provide Nigerian youth with the opportunity to apply for agricultural grants and support, is expected to be unveiled on January 17, 2025, in Abuja”, the coordinator added.
In his remarks on the importance of the scheme to the government’s job creation drive, the minister canvassed the need for transparency in the recruitment processes, including reaching the targeted audience.
Specifically, he charged the coordinating team to ensure that the Nigerian youth “see and feel the impact of this programme.”
