New Government Fund Helps Young Nigerians Get Land For Farming
By Patience Ikpeme
The Federal Government has started a new programme to give young Nigerians easy access to land so they can go into farming and agribusiness.
The new plan, called the Youth Agribusiness Land Trust Fund (YALTF), was officially launched in Abuja on Monday to remove the heavy struggles young people face when trying to get land for farming.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, said the new fund came at the right time. He explained that even though Nigeria has a lot of land, many young people cannot get it because of old ownership rules and poor planning, which stops them from investing in farming for the long term.
The Minister said that Nigerians must stop looking at farming as just a poor man’s struggle to feed his family. Instead, people should see it as a modern business that can create thousands of jobs and grow the country’s economy.
Using the Netherlands as an example, he explained that a country does not need a giant piece of land to succeed in farming, but rather good organization, modern technology, and the right skills.
Senator Bagudu said that the Federal, State, and Local Governments must work together because managing land is a shared duty. He noted that the government is already using another programme, the Renewed Hope Ward-Based Development Programme, to find free land and business chances inside different communities across Nigeria. He also said that government money alone cannot do everything, so private business owners must come in and invest.
The Budget Minister urged young people across Nigeria to enter the business of crop farming, animal rearing, fishing, food processing, and agricultural technology. He stated that he is sure this new land fund will give youth the power to help feed the nation and grow the economy.
Also speaking at the launch, the Minister of Youth Development, Mr. Ayodele Olawande, said the government is ready to stop just talking and start doing the real work of helping young people. He noted that Nigerian youth are very talented and creative, but they just do not have the right support and opportunities.
According to Mr. Olawande, the idea for the land fund came after he visited several youth centers across Nigeria and saw huge pieces of land lying empty. He thought these spaces could become busy farming hubs. He said the program will not just share land, but will also give young people proper training, guidance, modern tools, and connections to people who will buy their food.
The Youth Minister explained that the programme was made to help the country for a very long time, but it can only work if banks, private businesses, and government offices support it together.
“Land alone is insufficient without financing, technical support, and market linkages,” Mr. Olawande said, while calling on everyone to support the plan.
He concluded that the launch is a clear sign that the government believes in the power of Nigerian youth to change the economy through farming.
