NYSC members to get N2m agric grants to boost food production

From Okwe Obi, Abuja

Executive Director, Leventis Foundation Nigeria, Hope Usieta, has announced a N2 million grants offer to members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) with agri-driven ideas to boost food production.

Usieta, at a press briefing yesterday in Abuja, ahead of the 2025 Agricultural Youth Summit, in partnership with NYSC and other partners, said the initiative is a deliberate investment in youth-led agricultural innovation and entrepreneurship.

“I am pleased to announce that, in partnership with the NYSC, we will be awarding up to ₦2 million in grants to outstanding young agribusiness owners who present viable ideas and pitches during the summit.

“This initiative is not merely symbolic, but it is a deliberate investment in youth-led agricultural innovation and entrepreneurship.

“The one-day event which will feature expert-led workshops, panel sessions, key stakeholder presentations, an exhibition of agribusinesses are designed to be hands-on and solution-oriented. Each session would offer practical guidance that participants can immediately apply to their ventures,” he said.

According to him, “Our shared vision is simple: to make agribusiness a viable, innovative, and rewarding career path for Nigeria’s young people.

“Through strategic partnerships and consistent investment in youth capacity, we can transform the sector into a major driver of national prosperity.

“As we look to the future, our message to young Nigerians is simple but profound. Agribusiness holds promise. With the right training, technology, and mindset, agriculture can be your gateway to prosperity and impact.

“The Leventis Foundation Nigeria will continue to stand with you, invest in you, and champion your ideas as we build a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable agricultural sector.

“As we prepare for the 2025 Agricultural Youth Summit, we urge the media to join us in amplifying this message, that agriculture is a pathway to wealth creation, national growth, and global relevance.”

Also, NYSC Director of Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Department (SAED), Kehinde Aremu, said the initiative would go a long way in assisting corps members who are into agriculture.

Aremu said: “We have so many success stories as an organisation of corps members that got introduced to agric business for the first time with their encounter with the NYSC.

“And today they are successful farmers and that is the motivation we have to deepen this collaboration by being part of the agricultural summit.

“Perhaps, one of the challenges we have had which this summit is expected to address looking at the assemblage of participants and speakers, is finance. And we know that conventional financing methods cannot sustain agriculture in this country’s practice. And that is why we are excited.”