In a strategic move to address food insecurity and youth unemployment, over 150 young Nigerians have been trained in agribusiness by the CSS Group of Companies in Keffi, Nasarawa State. The training covered areas such as fishery, pig farming, and horticulture, with another batch of 150 participants expected in the coming weeks.
Chairman of CSS Group and former Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission, Prof. John Okpara, urged the Federal Government to invest in agriculture as a means of curbing youth restiveness and boosting national food security.
He emphasized the urgent need for modern farming equipment, functional infrastructure, and a secure environment to attract investors and stimulate food production. Highlighting the gap in local fish production, Prof. Okpara noted that Nigeria consumes 4.5 million metric tons of fish annually but produces less than 1.3 million metric tons.
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He called for more investment in fishery and cassava processing, suggesting that agriculture should be treated as a business opportunity to empower citizens and drive economic growth.
Dr. Emmanuel Njoku, Founder of the Emma Njoku Foundation and co-sponsor of the training, described the initiative as a non-political effort to transform Nigerian youth into agripreneurs. He emphasized the potential of trained youths to become employers, contribute to food exports, and boost Nigeria's GDP.
"This is just the beginning," Njoku said. "We aim to scale this initiative and train more young people across the country. Empowering youth through agriculture is key to solving unemployment and food scarcity in Nigeria."
