Amanze ChinonyeThe African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) have pledged strategic collaboration to enhance access to finance and create agribusiness opportunities for Nigerian youth, women, and survivors of human trafficking.
This resolution emerged during a high-level policy dialogue on “Access to Finance and Empowering Youth and Women for Agribusiness Success,” held in Abuja and convened by the AfDB Group. The event drew key stakeholders including federal ministers, development experts, and diaspora advocates committed to revitalizing agriculture through inclusive growth.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelChairman/CEO of NIDCOM, Hon. Dr. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, in her goodwill message, called for a structured partnership between NIDCOM and AfDB to develop tailored agribusiness and entrepreneurship programs that empower trafficking survivors, especially young women and girls who have endured traumatic experiences.
“Targeted financial inclusion and skills development initiatives are critical for the rehabilitation and reintegration of these survivors,” she said. “Through agribusiness, we can offer them dignity, empowerment, and long-term economic independence.”
Dabiri-Erewa’s appeal reinforces NIDCOM’s broader mandate to safeguard the welfare of Nigerians in the diaspora and support their productive reintegration into national development.
AfDB’s Director General for West Africa, Mr. Lamin Barrow, acknowledged the untapped potential in Nigeria’s youth population, stressing that agribusiness could serve as a springboard for job creation and economic revitalization.
“Youths provide a substantial reservoir of talent for innovation, creativity and boundless energy to drive the revitalisation of the agriculture sector,” Barrow said
Also speaking at the event, Nigeria’s Minister of Youth Development, Hon. Ayodele Olawande, challenged young Nigerians to transition from job seekers to job creators, urging them to embrace agribusiness and other entrepreneurial opportunities.
“We believe that the young people of this country should be creating jobs, not seeking government jobs. With the right support, they can lift millions out of poverty,” the minister said.
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Atiku Bagudu, echoed similar sentiments, noting the government’s focus on policies that promote agriculture-based enterprises and value addition.
“We are committed to transitioning millions of Nigerians into agriculture-based enterprises. With just a little support, we can triple productivity in agric-focused wards across the country,” Bagudu said.
Meanwhile, Hon. Alhaji Idi Maiha, Minister of Livestock Development, disclosed plans to implement a livestock empowerment programme targeting 37,000 youths and women across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. He invited AfDB’s collaboration on the initiative.
AfDB President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina also used the forum to issue a bold call for industrial innovation, stating that Africa must move beyond vehicle imports to manufacturing its own cars.
“Africa cannot continue to be a consumer continent. We must start making our own cars,” he said.
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The dialogue highlighted the need for sustained investment in infrastructure, gender-responsive financing, digital innovation, and capacity-building to unlock Nigeria’s full agribusiness potential.
Ada Osakwe, founder of Agrolay Ventures and former AfDB adviser, added a practitioner’s perspective, noting that women-led agribusinesses are viable and scalable.
“We are showing that agriculture is a business. It must evolve into agribusiness, making the entire value chain profitable,” she said.
The AfDB has previously committed billions of dollars in financing to support women-owned enterprises across Africa and continues to promote gender equality as a pillar of its development agenda.
As Nigeria confronts challenges around food security, youth unemployment, and the reintegration of trafficking survivors, the AfDB-NIDCOM collaboration could serve as a model for inclusive, impact-driven agricultural reform.
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