Youth Employment in Agri-business and Sustainable Agriculture Project
The YEASA project aims to link rural youth (18–35 years) with access to agricultural resources, technical and practical skills, credit facilities as well as other services needed to establish agribusiness enterprises and maximise their ability to benefit from existing agrifood systems.
The project will empower one thousand young rural adults in the Republic of Benin (Parakou and Cotonou) and Nigeria (Oyo and Ekiti) for a period of three years (2019-2022) to establish agribusinesses and gain employable skills along the value chains of maize, cassava, plantain, cowpea & soybean, and machine fabrication.
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) sponsors YEASA and the project is implemented by three institutions; AfeBabalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), the grant recipient, and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the AfricaRice Center as sub-recipients.
IITA will leverage Incubation Centres across Oyo State including the IITA-Oyo State Agribusiness Park Center, Awe to endow 200 young rural adults in Nigeria and the Republic of Benin.
The expected outcomes include: Skilling up rural youths to establish successful on-farm and off-farm agribusinesses and make them employable in agro-industry; increase agro-industrial value added and employment along the entire agribusiness value chain in maize, cassava, plantain, cowpea & soybean, and machine fabrication; Provide lucrative opportunities for a wide range of rural workers, especially the emerging generation of young people.
DELIVERABLES TO DATE
- A total of 110 youths have been trained in Nigeria along the IITA value chain. 40 youths have been supported to start their respective businesses (Beneficiaries of the training activities in the first year) with start-up grants worth $500.
- Beneficiaries of the training in the second year are scheduled to receive start-up grants in October/November 2020.
2019 Beneficiaries: 48; Grant awardees: 40
2020 Beneficiaries: 62; Grant awardees: 51
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The YEASA project aims to link rural youth (18–35 years) with access to agricultural resources, technical and practical skills, credit facilities as well as other services needed to establish agribusiness enterprises and maximise their ability to benefit from existing agrifood systems.
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