Ogun State has partnered with Soilless Farm Lab to train youth, create agribusiness jobs, and promote modern, technology-driven farming practices to ensure food security across Nigeria.

The partnership was showcased at the graduation of the 12th cohort of the Enterprise for Youth in Agriculture (EYIA) program, a joint initiative with the Mastercard Foundation, aimed at teaching Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and nutrition to enhance the vegetable value chain.

Key highlights from the initiative include:

• Training 12,000 participants directly, with an impact extending to over 19,000 secondary beneficiaries.
• Establishment of 240 new companies, generating over ₦40 million monthly revenue (excluding contract jobs) and securing more than ₦50 million in grants.
• Construction of 960 greenhouses and operation of over 1,050 greenhouses for year-round production.
• Significant community projects, including electrification, a 5 km road, and free basic education for over 100 children in Awowo and surrounding villages.

Senior Special Assistant on Agriculture to the Ogun Governor, Dr. Angel Adelaja, praised the initiative, highlighting the state government’s support, including ₦5 million grants and access to land for graduates to scale their ventures.

Ms. Peace Bassey, Project Manager of Soilless Farm Lab, noted the project’s success in creating resilient entrepreneurs, with graduates expanding into sectors like fashion and catering, while Paul Idoko, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, emphasized the goal of sustainable hunger reduction through continuous farming innovation.

The program has also trained over 3,200 adult farmers in collaboration with partners like the British American Tobacco Foundation, strengthening the local farming ecosystem.

“Through the collaboration of stakeholders and the youth we have trained, we believe hunger will be tackled, and the voice of farmers will be heard,” said Idoko.