Foundation To Award N2m Grants To Young Agripreneurs
The Leventis Foundation Nigeria has pledged N2million in grants to outstanding young agribusiness owners at the forthcoming Agricultural Youth Summit.
Mr Hope Usieta, Executive Director of the foundation, announced this on Tuesday in Abuja ahead of the 2025 summit scheduled for Nov. 6.
The 2025 theme is “Building Youth and Agripreneurs’ Resilience for Agribusiness through Targeted Upskilling and Innovative Agri-Finance”.
Usieta said the initiative, organised in partnership with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), would reward youth agribusiness owners who present the most viable ideas and pitches during the summit.
He said the initiative was a deliberate investment in youth-led agricultural innovation and entrepreneurship.
“Leventis Foundation has remained steadfast in our mission to train, empower, and mentor young Nigerians to become agripreneurs who can create jobs, boost productivity, and contribute to national food security,” he said.
According to him, the summit will provide a dynamic platform for learning, collaboration, and enterprise development.
“Through this summit, we aim to equip participants with practical skills, business insights, and access to innovative agri-finance tools that can help them start or scale their agribusinesses,” Usieta added.
He said the theme was informed by the challenges faced by young agripreneurs in building sustainable businesses and the need to develop solutions that promote resilience and innovation.
Usieta noted that the global agricultural system is undergoing rapid transformation driven by economic pressures, social change, and climate variability.
He stressed that Nigeria’s youth remain the country’s greatest resource for achieving a sustainable agricultural future.
According to him, the summit will bring together young agripreneurs, policymakers, development partners, financiers, and agricultural experts from across the country.
He said the event would feature expert-led workshops, panel discussions, stakeholder presentations, and exhibitions of youth-led agribusinesses designed to be hands-on and solution-oriented.
Usieta called for stronger partnerships to scale the impact of the initiative.
The transformation we seek requires collaboration across the public and private sectors, donor agencies, agribusiness investors, and development institutions to expand the reach and impact of this initiative,” he said.
NAN
