WFD: FG empowers young farmers, cooperatives to boost food production

As part of activities marking the 2025 World Food Day, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) on Thursday distributed agricultural inputs to young farmers, school-based clubs, and cooperative groups in Abuja, reaffirming the government’s commitment to ensuring all-year-round food production and inclusivity in the agricultural value chain.

Speaking during the event, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security said the initiative aligns with the theme of this year’s celebration—“Hand in Hand for Better Food and a Better Future”—which calls for collaboration among stakeholders to build a food-secure and sustainable future for Nigerians.

The minister noted that the ministry had integrated two key programmes of the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Initiative—the Every Home a Garden and the Young Farmers Club—into the National Urban Agriculture Programme, to encourage household and school-based food production.

“Yesterday, we visited schools in Kuje and Karshi where these initiatives are being implemented. The Young Farmers Club is helping to raise a new generation of agriculturally minded Nigerians. We are catching them young, and the results are inspiring,” Abdullahi said.

He commended the creativity of the students, particularly the Young Farmers Club President of Government Secondary School, Karshi, Etobah Fauzia Ibrahim, whose slogan “From the Classroom to the Community” was praised by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as a message worthy of global adoption.

According to the minister, the distribution of agricultural inputs to schools, women, youth cooperatives, and internally displaced persons (IDPs) demonstrates the inclusiveness of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises youth and women empowerment in agriculture.

“No one is left behind—women, youths, and persons living with disabilities are all included,” Abdullahi said. “If every family produces what it consumes, the pressure on market prices will reduce, and food affordability will improve.”

He urged beneficiaries to engage in all-year-round farming, highlighting that continuous production, even at the household or community level, is critical to achieving national food and nutrition security.

Beneficiaries included Government Secondary School Karshi, UBE Primary School Kuje, Swofon Gwagwalada Women’s Group, Nasara IDP Farmers Cooperative, and other community-based agricultural groups.

The minister emphasised that agriculture remains a profitable venture when approached with innovation and value addition, citing examples of students who learned how proper packaging and processing could increase profits.

“Simple value addition can make you earn ten times more. Agriculture is a business, and we must approach it as one,” he said.

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The event also featured participation from the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), which is implementing the Renewed Hope Agricultural Technology Adoption Programme to modernise school-based and community farming systems.

Abdullahi reaffirmed that the ministry would continue to support initiatives that promote sustainability, inclusivity, and youth participation, noting that Nigeria is “already walking the talk” in the global campaign for a hunger-free world.