Ecobank partners IITA to empower 16,000 youths in agriculture
By Cynthia Ezekwe
Ecobank Nigeria Limited, has initiated a partnership with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to train and support 16,000 youths in wealth creation through agriculture.
Ayo Osolake, the head of public sector and agribusiness at the Pan African bank, explained that the programme is targeted at young Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 40 years and would cover key areas of specialisation, including poultry, aquaculture, horticulture, and value addition.
Osolake noted that the bank’s commitment to helping young people create wealth is unwavering, and it is keen on working with similar-minded stakeholders in other sectors to help nurture the dreams of Nigerian youths, while pointing out that the programme is designed with a view to expanding the frontiers of agricultural opportunities for Nigerians, especially in terms of research, development and wealth creation.
According to Osolake, the first phase would last four weeks and would be strictly online, while the second phase would be hybrid, entailing practical sessions and farm visits, to empower and equip young Nigerians with the prerequisite knowledge for success in agriculture.
Speaking further, she said, “Now is a great time for anyone considering a future in agriculture to be a part of this training. The structure and areas of specialization have been carefully chosen to boost the capabilities of all attendees.
The training will also cover both theoretical and practical aspects of everything they need to learn. It is a pleasure to work with a foremost institution like the IITA for this, seeing that we share similar values.”
Osolake also stated that the training offers an opportunity to learn new technologies along the focus value chain, build business skills and competencies in agribusiness management, mentoring and coaching opportunities, linkages to finance, exposure to business plan development, and loan application. She added that there would also be post-training support to improve start-up identity and market linkages.