The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig. Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to building partnerships that will give “life and structure” to the potential of Nigerian youths.
He stated this on Thursday in Abuja while addressing participants at the 2025 Agricultural Youth Summit, organized in collaboration with the Leventis Foundation Nigeria and other partner organizations.
Represented by Mr. Abe Dankaro, NYSC’s Director of Ventures Management, Nafiu said that collaboration with private and development organizations was aimed at expanding access to opportunities that enhance youth skills and creativity.
“Our nation faces the dual challenge of youth unemployment and food insecurity. Yet, in every challenge lies an opportunity. Today, that opportunity is agribusiness — a sector rich in potential but in need of young minds to drive transformation,” the NYSC DG said.
Nafiu commended the Leventis Foundation Nigeria for its leadership in agricultural training and reaffirmed the government’s support for private sector players aligning with the Corps’ youth development agenda.
He highlighted the success of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the NYSC and the Foundation in 2021, describing it as “one of the most impactful collaborations under the NYSC Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) Programme.”
“Through this partnership, Corps members have been exposed to modern agricultural training, internships, and agribusiness development programmes at Leventis Foundation Agricultural Training Institutes across the country. NYSC is proud to champion this agenda and will continue to seek partnerships that give life and structure to youth potential,” he added.
In his remarks, Ahmed Mantey, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Leventis Foundation Nigeria, said the Foundation remains committed to empowering young Nigerians through sustainable agriculture.
“This gathering reflects a shared commitment to addressing one of the most pressing issues of our time — empowering Nigerian youths through agriculture and agribusiness development. The goal is to equip them with not just skills, but resilience, creativity, and access to resources needed to thrive in a rapidly changing agricultural landscape,” he said.
Also speaking, the Foundation’s Executive Director, Dr. Hope Usieta, described the 3rd edition of the Agricultural Youth Summit as a vital platform for advancing agricultural growth and youth empowerment.
“At Leventis Foundation, we remain steadfast in our commitment to building capacity for improved livelihoods. Our strategy has been to provide young people and farmers with opportunities and innovations that improve productivity, scale agribusinesses, and increase incomes,” Usieta stated.
