The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) ENABLE-Technologies For African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) programme has established agribusiness demonstration farms at 12 NYSC orientation camps in Nigeria.

The farms is to provide agribusiness support to youths.

This is contained in the IITA weekly bulletin, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Ibadan.

It said the initiative was in response to a clamor from youths who were inspired after benefiting from the compact’s agribusiness sensitisation sessions in March, May, August, and September.

The bulletin stated that the agribusiness sensitisation effort had reached more than 30,000 youths in Delta, Ekiti, Imo, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers states and FCT, Abuja.

“Many youths showed interest in participating in free training sessions conducted by the ENABLE-TAAT youth compact.

“In August, the compact presented cassava stems and maize seeds to each camp to facilitate the establishment of demonstration farms.

“Currently, 12 demo fields have been established as ENABLE-TAAT/NYSC demonstration farms in Nigeria.

“This activity hinges on building an agribusiness park where youth get practical experience and access to modern technologies that will be deployed in the fields,” it stated.

It said the NYSC Director-General, Brig. Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, has called for a symposium to train assigned agribusiness staff and interested youth on best management practices and monthly progress reports from NYSC State Coordinators on the activities at each park.

NAN reports that ENABLE-TAAT compact is implemented by the Youth in Agribusiness unit of IITA.

The compact will equip youths with modern agricultural technologies in nine commodity value chains while offering them opportunity to become self-employed and employers of labour.