HortiNigeria holds workshop in Oyo for youths in Agribusiness

As part of efforts to ramp up food production in Nigeria, HortiNigeria, a Dutch-funded program of the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), gathered youths from across Oyo State on Thursday for a free workshop on tomato production.

The workshop, titled “Profitable Innovations in Boosting Tomato Production and Productivity,” was held in Ibadan to commemorate the United Nations International Youth Day and attracted youths in agribusiness from across the state.

To build a sustainable and inclusive horticulture sector in Nigeria, the Dutch and Nigerian governments established HortiNigeria, a four-year program implemented through a consortium led by the International Fertilizer Development Center.

Other consortium partners include East West Seed Knowledge Transfer (EWS-KT), Wageningen University and Research (WUR), and the KIT Royal Tropical Institute.

Benedict Ukpulpen provided an overview of the program, explaining that HortiNigeria operates through four components to achieve its goals: increasing productivity and income, piloting production system innovations, increasing access to finance for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and enhancing sector coordination and facilitating business-to-business (B2B) linkages and partnerships.

The first component focuses on building the capacity of smallholder vegetable farmers through eco-efficient practices and climate-smart technologies. The second component pilots innovative technologies with 2,000 young entrepreneurial farmers in Oyo and Ogun states to boost productivity and mitigate the impact of seasonality due to high dependency on vegetable supplies from Northern Nigeria.

The third component aims to facilitate a sustainable inflow of semi-commercial capital worth 6 million euros, particularly for women- and youth-owned, -run, and -led MSMEs within the horticulture sector. The fourth component focuses on enhancing sector coordination and facilitating B2B linkages.

Speaking on “Empowering Youths: The Key to a Sustainable Future in Agriculture,” the Oyo State Project Communication Officer, Youth in Agribusiness (YAS), a project of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Mr. Babatunde Ajaja, emphasized that the future of Africa lies in the hands of today’s youth.

“In 2023, Africa’s population was about 1.48 billion people, with 70 percent being young people. Despite this large population, the United Nations reported that Africa’s food import bill exceeds $60 billion annually. This discrepancy is a dramatic irony that demands attention,” he said.

Ajaja stressed that with Africa’s large population, vast land mass, and the availability of numerous technological innovations in agriculture, the continent should not need to import food.

He noted that Nigerian youths, with their creativity, energy, and resilience, are well-positioned to revolutionize the sector.

To support this claim, he mentioned: “In February, when we launched our ‘Call for Applications’ for training in Q1 2024, we received 46,606 entries within two weeks, although we could only train a few throughout the year.

“Therefore, we must recognize the magnitude of the task ahead and continue to empower young people.

“In less than a year, the YAS project has trained over 4,500 youths and supported many in various agricultural value chains, including horticulture, poultry, aquaculture, yam, maize, soybean, cassava, and groundnut. However, much more remains to be done by all stakeholders.”

Ajaja lamented the rapid growth of Nigeria’s population without a corresponding increase in food production, describing it as “a short course to crisis” and emphasizing the need to harness the country’s growing population to boost food production.

He highlighted the importance of continuing to provide youths with capacity development, access to resources and markets, and creating opportunities for young agripreneurs.

“Let us remember that the future is inevitable; however, we must decide if it will be characterized by food sufficiency and sustainable agricultural practices or by hunger, poverty, malnutrition, harmful agricultural practices, unemployment, and high food imports despite shrinking resources. What we do with today’s youths will determine our future.”

The keynote speaker and resource person, Ms. Kamilat Balogun, addressed both agricultural and business aspects of tomato production. She detailed technical aspects such as seed selection, land preparation, transplanting, pruning, weed control, and pesticide application, emphasizing the importance of meticulous record-keeping to track progress.

Agripreneur Mark Olusegun, while acknowledging the role of chemicals in tomato cultivation, stressed the need to reduce chemical use for health reasons. He also expressed concern that despite having vast and resource-rich land in the South-West, the region still relies heavily on the North for its tomato needs. Olusegun provided tips on nutrient supply, maximizing yield, and the optimal timing for harvest.

Mr. Olufemi Odusanya, representing the chairman of the Mile 12 International Market, Alhaji Shehu Usman Idris, thanked HortiNigeria for its efforts to boost food production in Nigeria. He highlighted Nigeria’s large youth population as a potential game-changer in food production and sustainability, offering advice on modern tomato storage systems and effective marketing practices.

Odusanya also discussed challenges in tomato production and advised farmers to seek market information and engage with market leadership to ensure fair compensation for their products.

Throughout the program, there were interactive sessions where young people in agribusiness sought clarifications from the keynote speaker and other resource persons.