Oyo Govt, ICMPD launch €2.4m YERP to empower 700 youths
Oyo State government and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) have launched a €2.4 million initiative, Youth Empowerment and Reintegration Project (YERP) to empower 700 youths in the state.
The project, which targets youths aged 18 to 35, particularly those in rural communities and returnee migrants
aimed at tackling youth unemployment and curbing irregular migration.
The newsmen report that the project was formally unveiled during the launch on Friday at the conference room of the ministry of Agriculture, state secretariat, Agodi Ibadan.
Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Olasunkanmi Olaleye, described YERP as another milestone in Gov. Seyi Makinde’s agricultural development agenda.
Olaleye said that the initiative was designed to create sustainable livelihoods for young people through agriculture, support the reintegration of returnee migrants, and stimulate rural economic development.
“YERP is an important intervention designed to support teeming youth, particularly rural young people and returnee migrants, by creating sustainable opportunities for them through agriculture and related economic activities.
“The project aims to address rural youth unemployment, support the sustainable reintegration of returnee migrants, curb irregular migration and drive rural economic development through climate-smart and sustainable agriculture,” he said.
The commissioner explained that the project would not only provide farmland, but also build viable agribusinesses for beneficiaries through climate-smart agricultural training, cooperative development, market linkages and livelihood support.
He disclosed that the state government had secured 1,766 hectares of farmland in Ilero, Kajola Local Government Area, and 50 hectares at the Rural Community Development Centre in Aawe, Afijio Local Government Area for the project.
“The state government will provide farmland, facilitate partnerships among host communities, land donors and the private sector, and equally support the tractorisation of the farmlands.
“This initiative reflects the administration’s belief that agriculture was a strategic tool for job creation, youth empowerment and economic resilience, beyond just food production,”he said.
The commissioner said that YERP complements existing programmes of the Makinde administration, including youth training, mechanisation, digital soil testing, extension services and market-oriented interventions, aimed at making agriculture attractive as a business.
He urged young people to take advantage of opportunities across the agricultural value chain, noting that modern agriculture has expanded beyond hoes and cutlasses to include processing, logistics, digital agriculture and marketing.
Also speaking, the ICMPD Portfolio Manager for the Pan-Africa Region, Mr Marcello Giordani, said that Nigeria remains ICMPD’s biggest and most important partner in Africa.
Giordani, who said he was in Ibadan specifically for the YERP partnership, expressed optimism that the project would create meaningful opportunities for youths.
“I really believe that this project could become an interesting opportunity for a number of young people from this area to explore their potential and create a positive change in their future by working in agriculture.
“With new technology and the right conditions to enable them to build their future and earn a living through agriculture, I believe this project could be of great help,” he said.
He commended Oyo state government for its commitment, noting that the signing of the agreement during his second visit demonstrated ownership of the partnership.
YERP, which is a joint initiative of the state government and the ICMPD is funded by the Government of Denmark.