Seeds, Skills & Start-Ups: Delta’s Plan To Build 1,000 Young Agripreneurs

By STELLA JOHNSON OGBOVOVEH

Delta Bets on Youth & Agriculture to Build a More Diversified Economy

FOR decades, oil has dominated the economic identity of Delta State.

Now, the state government is placing fresh emphasis on agriculture as it seeks to create more opportunities for young people and build alternative sources of economic growth.

The latest intervention targets 1,000 youths who will receive agricultural training and practical exposure under a wealth creation programme organised in Ughelli.

The programme focuses on developing young people into commercial farmers and agribusiness entrepreneurs rather than simply encouraging small-scale subsistence production.

The government expects the initiative to create jobs, expand local agricultural production and position more Delta youths to participate in profitable value chains.

Oborevwori Administration Pushes Agribusiness Model

The Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr. Val Arenyeka, said the programme aligns with the administration of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s commitment to youth empowerment and economic development.

He argued that agriculture offers a realistic pathway for young people seeking economic independence.

According to him, Delta possesses fertile land and climatic conditions capable of supporting the cultivation of a wide range of crops.

Those natural advantages, he said, should be converted into productive economic opportunities.

Rather than depend solely on government employment, Arenyeka urged participants to explore opportunities across agriculture and its related industries.

The message was clear: agriculture must increasingly be treated as business.

That means focusing not only on planting and harvesting but also on investment, technology, processing, marketing and access to profitable markets.

Why Cocoa, Coffee, Cotton & Ginger?

The first phase of the programme concentrates on cocoa, coffee, cotton and ginger.

Each crop offers opportunities that extend beyond the farm.

Cocoa can feed processing and export industries. Cotton connects agriculture to the textile sector. Ginger has a growing reputation as an export commodity, while coffee presents opportunities within both domestic and international markets.

The government hopes that training young people across these value chains will encourage them to identify opportunities beyond primary production.

A young entrepreneur, for example, may choose to establish a farm, process agricultural products, supply inputs, provide mechanisation services or participate in marketing and distribution.

This broader value-chain approach could become critical to the success of the programme.

Agriculture creates greater economic impact when production is linked to processing, storage, transportation and markets.

Training Meets Tools & Planting Materials

The organisers have attempted to combine classroom learning with practical exposure.

George Oyefia, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, said participants would receive hands-on training designed to prepare them for real agricultural operations.

A mini tractor was provided as part of the practical training on mechanised farming.

Participants were also introduced to a chaff cutter used in livestock-feed production.

The programme has equally made thousands of seedlings available for distribution.

These include 10,000 cocoa seedlings, 100,000 cotton seedlings, 5,000 coffee seedlings and 5,000 ginger seedlings.

The distribution is intended to give participants an opportunity to put their training into practice.

Instead of leaving the programme with knowledge alone, beneficiaries are expected to have access to some of the basic materials required to begin agricultural ventures.

Agriculture as a Response to Youth Unemployment

Mr. Israel Yusuf, one of the programme facilitators, said the initiative also seeks to address youth unemployment, poverty and social challenges.

His argument reflects a wider policy question confronting many states: how can young people be connected to productive sectors capable of generating sustainable income?

For Yusuf, agriculture offers one possible answer.

However, the sector must become more attractive, profitable and technologically driven if it is to draw large numbers of young people.

Training programmes such as the one launched in Delta can provide a starting point.

Yet training alone will not guarantee success.

Young farmers and agribusiness owners will still require access to land, financing, markets and infrastructure.

They will also need protection from the risks that often discourage private investment in agriculture.

The Importance of What Happens Next

The real measure of the programme may therefore come after the training.

How many participants will establish farms?

How many will expand into processing and other agribusiness activities?

How many will survive the first years of operation?

And how many will eventually employ other young people?

Those questions will determine the long-term impact of the initiative.

The provision of seedlings and training equipment provides an important foundation. Still, sustained mentoring, access to finance, extension services and reliable markets could prove equally important.

Without those structures, many agricultural start-ups may struggle to move from small projects to commercially sustainable enterprises.

Participants See a New Path

Participants including Duchess Ikpasa and Kesiah Idodo expressed optimism about the training.

They described the programme as an opportunity to acquire practical knowledge and expand their involvement in agriculture.

Their response captures the ambition behind the initiative.

Delta State is attempting to change the perception of agriculture among young people.

The goal is to replace the image of farming as a low-income survival activity with that of agribusiness as a potential source of innovation, income and employment.

The decision to train 1,000 youths therefore represents more than an agricultural intervention.

It is also an economic diversification strategy.

For an oil-producing state such as Delta, the effort to develop new engines of growth carries particular significance.

If the participants can transform the skills, equipment and planting materials into viable enterprises, the programme could help create a network of young farmers, processors and agricultural entrepreneurs.

The ambition is substantial.

The challenge will be sustaining the programme beyond its initial training phase and ensuring that the seeds being distributed today eventually grow into businesses capable of creating wealth, jobs and long-term economic opportunities across Delta State.