Young Africa Works – IITA Project Training In Agribusiness For Nigerian Youths

The International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in partnership with Mastercard Foundation is calling for applications from Nigerian Youths to apply for the Young Africa Works – IITA project training.

This is an innovative project for agribusiness training and start-up. It is for Nigeria’s young people who are specifically in Lagos, Kano & Kaduna.

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About The Young Africa Works

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in collaboration with the Mastercard foundation started the Young Africa Works in May. With this project, they seek to provide the required skills to secure dignified and fulfilling work for youth in agri-food value chains. And thereby, empowering them for self-employment and employment opportunities.

Generally, the project is designed to advance agribusiness opportunities to over 40,000 Nigerian youths especially women. It focuses on providing skills development, decent employment, and entrepreneurship opportunity for youths to secure dignified and fulfilling work in agri-food value chains for the next five years.

More so, the project will be working with partners in various sectors with the aim to;

1. To strengthen agricultural training for young people
2. Provide youth particularly young women with skills needed to better compete for decent employment and develop their own successful business in agriculture and agro-processing
3. Develop youth-sensitive loan and agribusiness support programs. This will be in collaboration with financial institutions that recognize the specialized needs of youth as agricultural borrowers.
4. Transition youth vocational training centres into youth agribusiness parks that offer workspace, experiential learning, opportunities, and collective services to youth

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How It Works

The Young Africa Works – IITA project is currently seeking applicants within Kaduna, Kano, and Lagos. The initiative will build your capacity to be trained and work within the supported value chain of rice, soybean, maize, cowpea, poultry, vegetable, mushroom, groundnut, fish, and livestock.

Basically, the project and training will focus on; Entrepreneurial and Employment track

Entrepreneurship Track; The programme has identified several enterprises and successful agribusiness models attractive to youths. This will guide the intended beneficiaries to produce a bankable business plan at the end of the training track. Also, there is a partnership with financial institutions such as Sterling Bank, NIRSAL to facilitate access to sources of finance and credit. And, access to post-training support will be facilitated by the project.

Employment Track; The program is aware of the skills gap between youth and potential employers, as a result, this training aims to better match these two interests. This will be conducted through commercial internships and mentors in order to further advance skills development and find better jobs. Youth emerging from employment-track training are provided assistance to find decent jobs through professional placement services.

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Eligibility Criteria

To apply, you must meet these criteria;

1. You are between 18 – 35 years
2. You must be ordinarily resident in the respective municipal area (and live within a 5 km radius of a cluster)
3. Have attained at least Junior Secondary School 3 (JSS3) for entrepreneurship track & a diploma for employment track
4. You are willing to commit at least 6 weeks for the training and can demonstrate a passion for agriculture
5. Interest in the project focus commodities
6. Must have access to a functional mobile phone
7. Affiliation to a registered association is an added advantage.

Moreso, you will receive a certificate upon completion of the training program.

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Young Africa Works Application Process

You can register online or pick forms in designated locations in these location in the three states;

1. Lagos State Agricultural Development Authority, 371 Oko-Oba, Agege Motor Rd, Agege, Lagos
2. IITA office, National Agricultural Extension, and Research Liason Services (NAERLS) office complex, Zaria Kaduna State
3. International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Sabo Bakin Zuwo Road, Kano State.

Please Note: A follow-up interview may be conducted for the final selection of beneficiaries to be considered for the training.

The deadline for application for the Young Africa Works is December 12, 2020. You can also apply using this link; https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfeZIFiSJBtuFcXK1n-3GQif-Tnmk83qiilaCz2U3Ujqwad_g/viewform

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