No fewer than 837 youths in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have received agricultural training under the Seyi Tinubu Operation Back to Agriculture Initiative (SOBAI), aimed at equipping them with skills to establish farms, create jobs and contribute to food security
The beneficiaries who completed their training at the initiative’s Kubwa centre in Abuja are now awaiting empowerment support to enable them to establish their own agricultural businesses
The National Coordinator of SOBAI, Emmanuel Bidi, disclosed this during the training and induction ceremony, saying the initiative was designed to help young people achieve financial independence through agriculture
He said the programme went beyond skills acquisition by seeking to support beneficiaries to build sustainable businesses that could generate employment and boost food production
Bidi disclosed that SOBAI, in partnership with Praise Agrovet, had trained and empowered 64,734 youths across the FCT, Nasarawa, Niger, Kogi, Benue and Kano states since its inception
He said the training covered various agricultural value chains, including poultry production, fish farming and goat rearing
According to him, the initiative plans to establish and activate 34 training centres with programmes accredited by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), targeting 20 million Nigerian youths by 2030
He added that the organisation intended to sustain free agricultural training quarterly nationwide and establish farms across the 36 states to serve as centres for research, training and industrial attachment, including for members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC)
Bidi called on government agencies, private-sector organisations, community leaders and youth groups to support agricultural education and entrepreneurship, saying access to practical training and start-up support would help young people turn their skills into sustainable livelihoods
He also stressed the importance of quality animal feed, veterinary products and competent personnel in improving livestock health and farm productivity
The coordinator further announced that the initiative was targeting five million votes for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 through youth engagement and grassroots mobilisation in collaboration with the City Boy Movement and other support groups
He clarified that the figure was a mobilisation target rather than a guaranteed electoral outcome, noting that voting remained the personal choice of eligible citizens and that the initiative’s empowerment programmes would be conducted in line with applicable laws
Bidi said the programme’s long-term success would depend on effective implementation, transparent administration and partnerships that would help beneficiaries establish viable agricultural businesses