Six corps members have received N10 million in grants under the Farmers for the Future Programme, organised by the British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) in collaboration with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
NYSC Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, said this in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja.
According to the statement, NYSC Director-General, Brig.-Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, presented the cheques to the beneficiaries in Abuja, urging corps members to embrace agribusiness and commodity marketing to create wealth and build sustainable businesses.
The beneficiaries are Dominic Olufemi, who received N3 million; Temitope Adewole and Abdulwaheed Bala, N2 million each; and Olanike Mayungbe, Kingsley Udoeyen and Lorember Lorsue, N1 million each.
Nafiu commended BATNF for placing Nigerian youths at the centre of its entrepreneurship initiatives through value-chain development, employment creation and its partnership with the NYSC.
While congratulating the beneficiaries, he emphasised the importance of value addition to the success and sustainability of every business venture.
“I charge you to spread the news around. We have seen the outcome, and it is a good idea,” Nafiu said.
The Acting Director, Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED), Mrs Winifred Shopeka, said nearly 3,000 corps members applied for the programme and underwent a rigorous selection process.
Shopeka said the process produced 20 finalists who proceeded to a boot camp and final pitching session, resulting in the selection of six beneficiaries.
She added that the beneficiaries had been mentored and attached to established market operators to assist them in marketing their products.
According to her, corps members who did not reach the final stage were also trained by BATNF as part of efforts to equip them with relevant agribusiness skills.
The Team Lead, BATNF, Mr Oludare Odusanya, urged corps members engaged in agribusiness to master its fundamentals and acquire the knowledge and skills required to succeed.
“We are happy with our collaboration with the NYSC, and it will continue,” Odusanya said.
Odusanya said the Farmers for the Future Programme was established to encourage corps members to venture into agribusiness and become job creators.
He added that beneficiaries would be attached to mentors to guide them towards success in their respective businesses.
