Boosting Youth Employment in Nigeria
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Nigeria faces an alarming growth in youth unemployment; more than 42 percent are unemployed, and nearly two-thirds of them live in poverty. The Government of Nigeria identified agriculture as the sector of the economy with high potential for (self-) employment generation, food production and poverty reduction. FAO was asked to provide complementary assistance, in cooperation with the ILO, to the Youth Employment in Agriculture Programme (YEAP). This entailed building capacity, both technical and institutional, in implementing organizations so they could provide the required enabling environment for youth to engage in agriculture profitably.
Réalisations
Meetings and workshops were held to lay the appropriate technical foundations and gain political buy-in for project implementation among the stakeholders. These were followed by needs assessment surveys to determine the status of the proposed training institutions, and the training requirements of staff as well as the youth. Relevant training programmes were then organised. Throughout project implementation, success stories were carefully monitored and recorded while facilities were put in place to ensure the sustainability of the project at both Federal and State levels.Impact
The project successfully changed the perception of youth about agriculture as occupation of last resort to ‘agriculture as a business’ with high-profit potential. The deployment of Junior Farmer Field and Life Schools (JFFLS) in secondary schools assisted tremendously in this result. Although the focus of the project was institutional capacity building, over 80 percent of youth beneficiaries were able to establish businesses. Theresa Ibe, a poultry farmer in Kabusa village, Abuja, says: “The training has taught me to make the right choices when it comes to buying chicks, feed and also how to manage heat stress. I have learnt processing (evisceration techniques), storage, waste management and marketing. The book and record keeping has changed the way I do business.”Activités
- 290 youth were trained in leadership skills and entrepreneurship in value-chain development.
- Eight field visits to farms established and managed by youths were organized to showcase best practices in youth employment policy and initiatives.
- 89 youth were trained in poultry production and management.
- Pineapple farms were established for 140 trained youth in six southwestern states.
- 18 cooperatives were formed for the trained youth.
Code du projet FAO: TCP/NIR/3503
Titre du projet Strengthening Capacity to Implement Youth Employment in Agriculture Programme (YEAP)
Contacts: FAO Office in Nigeria / Alain Onibon (Lead Technical Officer)
Télécharger PDF: http://www.fao.org/3/CA0885EN/ca0885en.pdf