IFAD, FG train 697 young farmers in Ondo

By Muftau Ogunyemi

International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Federal Government, and Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises Niger-Delta (LIFE-ND) Project in Ondo State, have enrolled and trained 697 young farmers to eradicate food shortage in the country.

Dr Olawale Ademola, IFAD State Project Coordinator (SPC), made the disclosure during the learning route for incubates (trainees) of LIFE-ND in the additional financing phase of the project held at Nibanola Farms in Ondo Town on Wednesday.

Ademola, represented by Mr Gbenga Agbotoba, IFAD State Knowledge Management and Communication Officer, said the 697 incubates were drawn from nine Local Government Area (LGA) of 49 communities in Ondo State.

The SPC, who said the learning route was to give incubates further technical skill and also expose them to other business environments, said it would help incubates to be more focused and motivated in their business enterprise.

“Today, about 30 incubates were drawn from Akure North, Akoko North-West, Owo, Ondo East, Ilaje and Ese-Odo LGAs to participate in a learning route programme,” he said.

Ademola explained that the incubates had been trained in their various centres in their chosen enterprises like cassava, cocoa, fishery and poultry farmers.

He said the learning route was to expose young farmers to practical knowledge and strengthen them in enterprise management and value chain development.

“The 697 incubates enrolled in November 2025, some were trained for one month and some for three months and each received N50,000 stipend per month.

“Now, the project is putting things in order to empower and support them by giving grants to start their business and to put into practice what they have been trained for.

“So, we are encouraging young farmers to go into agribusiness to make a life and good living out of what they are doing.

“Young farmers can engage in agribusiness such as cocoa marketing, production, Cocoa nursery production, cassava production and processing, and poultry production

“Also fish production, processing and marketing as well as vegetable production like tomato, cucumber and pepper. It will be for their benefit and the country at large,” he said.

Also, Mr Segun Akinbinuade, Nibanola Farms General Manager, said the farms were into different agribusiness, and charged the incubates to work on their mindset and see agriculture as a flourishing and profitable businesses.

Akinbinuade, therefore, encouraged the incubates and Nigerian youths to engage in agribusiness, rather than chasing white collar jobs.

One of the incubates, Adebukunola Olowolagba, a Poultry Farmer from Akoko North-West LGA, thanked IFAD for its roles in shaping the life of young people through the agricultural training and empowerment.

Olowolagba, who reflected on the progress made by Nibanola Farms, said the young farmers could also achieve similar success with dedication and effort.

“The visit to Nibanola Farms today has giving me more encouragement in my poultry farming business.

“The farm believes in persistence and consistency, so if we young farmers can put more effort in our various farming areas, definitely, success will be ours too,” she said.

Similarly, Salaudeen Isiaka, from Isuada, Owo LGA , applauded IFAD for the introduction to agribusiness, saying it would help young farmers start their own successful farming business with little capital.

(NAN)