1. OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN AND YOUTH IN AGRICULTURE
Bassey Archibong Director- Household Economic Strengthening USAID- MARKETS II Project

2. OVERVIEW OF PRESENTATION
Women Empowerment in Agriculture
Some challenges affecting women involvement in Agriculture
Turning Challenges to opportunities for women
Why Youth in Nigeria agriculture
Efforts to engage youth in Agriculture
Opportunities for youth within the Agriculture value chains
Where do we go from here?

3. OBJECTIVES
Identify opportunities available for business in all stages of agricultural value chain
Determine support systems which women and youth in the Niger Delta can access to enable them succeed in agri-business

4. WOMEN EMPOWERMENT IN AGRICULTURE The Women's Empowerment in Agriculture (WEA) framework . Three components influence the engagement of women in agriculture value chains: Agency-The capacity of women to take action as value chain actors. Relations- The horizontal and vertical linkages that increase or decrease women’s capacity for action(agency) and the enabling environment (structure) Structure- The enabling environment (institutions, regulations, policies and norms) that codify gender relations within a value chain and throughout a society.

5. SOME CHALLENGES FACING WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE
Women in Nigeria are equally entrepreneurial yet women face lower access to capital which is needed to scale up their businesses
Access to productive resources such as land(smaller plot sizes, degraded soils )
Less access to improved seeds, machinery, and other inputs,
Agricultural Insurance is rare for women farmers
Difficulty in accessing affordable labor for crop, livestock, and fish production.
Use of technology is costly for women small-scale producers and processers
Difficulty in accessing relevant training( due to cultural or family constraints or lack of funds)
Because women face additional constraints such as smaller plot sizes and less access to improved seeds, machinery, and other inputs, strategy must build activities into the agricultural campaigns that ensure women are accessing and using improved seeds, machinery, and other inputs and encourage their participation in value added activities like milling, parboiling, and food transformation
Helping policy makers better understand the constraints that female farmers face is a critical first step to the development of an enabling policy environment that ensures equal access for female farmers to land, finance, and inputs.

6. TURNING CHALLENGES TO OPPORTUNITIES
Micro finance Institutions prefer women groups(processors, traders), women can be supported to leverage on MFI for non farm activities (processing, marketing)
Promote job creation through service provision ( seed sorting, grain cleaning, mechanization support)
Encourage their participation in value added activities like - milling, parboiling, and fish smoking, product bulking, packaging, small-scale processing, and marketing.
Continuous and consistent advocacy to policy makers on constraints that inhibit female farmers’ entry into productive value chains.  
Agricultural campaigns that ensure women are accessing and using improved seeds, machinery, and other inputs (eg.GES)
Because women face additional constraints such as smaller plot sizes and less access to improved seeds, machinery, and other inputs, strategy must build activities into the agricultural campaigns that ensure women are accessing and using improved seeds, machinery, and other inputs and encourage their participation in value added activities like milling, parboiling, and food transformation
Helping policy makers better understand the constraints that female farmers face is a critical first step to the development of an enabling policy environment that ensures equal access for female farmers to land, finance, and inputs.

7. TURNING CHALLENGES TO OPPORTUNITIES
Emphasis on no-cost and low-cost technologies first – (integrated pest management, integrated soil fertility management, and improved seeds)
Deliberate increase in number of women participating in agribusiness training ,
Make training more accessible to women(time, location and conditions for attendance)
Increase women’s role in producer associations.
Ensure equity in agricultural campaign support.
Recruit more female extension agents, for increased information dissemination and facilitation of knowledge sharing,
Because women face additional constraints such as smaller plot sizes and less access to improved seeds, machinery, and other inputs, strategy must build activities into the agricultural campaigns that ensure women are accessing and using improved seeds, machinery, and other inputs and encourage their participation in value added activities like milling, parboiling, and food transformation
Helping policy makers better understand the constraints that female farmers face is a critical first step to the development of an enabling policy environment that ensures equal access for female farmers to land, finance, and inputs.

8. WHY YOUTH IN AGRICULTURE?
Nigeria’s unemployment rate is increasing, youth experience higher levels of unemployment and underemployment and a much greater concentration in the informal sector than adults.
More young people entering the workforce only a small fraction able to find formal employment
An urgent need for replacement of aging farming population
New technologies are changing the way agricultural commodities are produced, processed and transported,
Youth are better positioned to engage in innovative processes
Agri-business is profitable for youth
Bassey

9. Limited safe spaces for female youth to engage in agri-business
THE YOUTH CHALLENGE
Low interest in agriculture/agribusiness due to long gestation period before profit is realized.
Youth lack sufficient asset to meet banks’ collateral requirements to access loans
Banks are averse to agricultural loan and particularly lending to youth
Lack of access to land, often exacerbated in certain crops. (cocoa, Oil Palm)
Rural youth attached to agriculture are disadvantaged as compared to those in non-farm activities.
Female youth work more hours than young men, are more likely to be underemployed, and more likely to be out of the labor force.
Limited safe spaces for female youth to engage in agri-business
Among the youth, females and the rural face particularly stronger challenges especially because of early motherhood

10. Federal Ministry of Agriculture (Youth and Gender Desk)
SUMMARY OF AGRO-RELATED YOUTH EMPOWERMENT ACTIVITIES By Federal Ministries Department/Agencies
Federal Ministry of Agriculture (Youth and Gender Desk)
-Working with FAO to roll out the Youth in Agriculture Empowerment Program.
- Set up structures at the federal and state levels for implementation of the program.
-South-South commodities: Oil Palm, Cocoa ,Cassava ,Rice, Livestock and Fisheries
Ministry of Finance, Communication and Youth Development (You Win Program)
The Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (You Win) Programme is a collaboration of the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Communication Technology (CT), the Ministry of Youth Development and the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development
Annual Business Plan Competition (BPC) for aspiring young entrepreneurs in Nigeria, proved seeds and other inputs.
Bassey

11. SUMMARY OF AGRO-RELATED YOUTH EMPOWERMENT ACTIVITIES By State Ministries Department/Agencies
Cross River State
- The state government sent 100 youth to Songhai farm, and has established a mini Songhai farm in Abi Local Government area
- Cocoa livelihood program for youths in Boki, Obubra, Ikom Etung and Obudu (WCS Project) 
Delta State
-Youth Empowerment Through Agriculture (YETA) and farmer support program, program establishes cluster farms focusing on Cassava and fish farming.
Ondo State
-New generation farmers Scheme- empowerment of youth in Cassava, Maize, Vegetable farming.
- Activities include training and allocation of cleared land to youth; seeds are distributed to the youth farmers.
River States
- River State Sustainable Development Agency, set up to develop the agro-related potentials of River state.
-6 integrated farms set up by RSSDA which is expected to train youths and develop small and medium scale agro allied enterprises.
Bassey

12. - Coordinates small scale agro processors network in Nigeria
SUMMARY OF AGRO-RELATED YOUTH EMPOWERMENT ACTIVITIES By State Ministries Department/Agencies
OXFAM
- Coordinates small scale agro processors network in Nigeria
- Mobilization of youth both in and out of school youths, using various media
Volunteer Services Overseas (VSO)
Nigeria Graduate Volunteer Program. VSO signed an MOU with NYSC. NYSC provides Corps Members to communities as Community Extension Volunteers.
IFAD (RUFIN)
-Provides capacity building and access to financial services- Targets youth, women, people with disability in pilot states of Edo, Akwa Ibom in Niger Delta
ACTIONAID Nigeria
- Manages Youth Advocacy group on food security (ACTIVISTA), works with Ondo state government to train youth in agriculture as advocates
Bank of Agriculture
-Developed a new youth-focused initiative – Youth Agriculture Revolution in Nigeria (YARN) – to provide small enterprises managed by youth with loans up to $1 million Naira
POWER and Project AWAKE
USAID/MARKETS II PROJECT
-engages and integrates youth throughout the agricultural value chains.
-Leadership trainings to build business skills and foster entrepreneurial spirit in Project. 6 integrated farms set up by RSSDA which is expected to train youths and develop small and medium scale agro allied enterprises.
Bassey

13. SUMMARY OF AGRO-RELATED YOUTH EMPOWERMENT ACTIVITIES By State Ministries Department/Agencies
OXFAM
- Coordinates small scale agro processors network in Nigeria
- Mobilization of youth both in and out of school youths, using various media
Volunteer Services Overseas (VSO)
Nigeria Graduate Volunteer Program. VSO signed an MOU with NYSC. NYSC provides Corps Members to communities as Community Extension Volunteers.
IFAD (RUFIN)
-Provides capacity building and access to financial services- Targets youth, women, people with disability in pilot states of Edo, Akwa Ibom in Niger Delta
ACTIONAID Nigeria
- Manages Youth Advocacy group on food security (ACTIVISTA), works with Ondo state government to train youth in agriculture as advocates
Bank of Agriculture
-Developed youth-focused initiative – Youth Agriculture Revolution in Nigeria (YARN) – to provide small enterprises managed by youth with loans up to $1 million Naira
POWER and Project AWAKE
- Designed women focused agri-enterprise for female youth and women in Cooperatives in Cross River State
USAID/MARKETS II PROJECT
-engages and integrates youth throughout the agricultural value chains.
-Leadership trainings to build business skills and foster entrepreneurial spirit in Project.
Bassey

14. SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH
Small/medium scale processors of Cassava, and Rice, Oil palm
Farm Input suppliers and related services(
Fish farming(plastic and concrete tanks fish production)
Fish drying and marketing
Fish feed selling (micro consignment)
Cocoa Spraying, Nursery production
Bee farming( Honey production and pollination services) Grasscutter, Snail, Mushroom farming)
Irrigation machine operators
Cassava harvesting and processing
Crop farming- Rice, Cassava, Cocoa, Oil palm, Maize
Bassey

15. WHAT SUPPORT CAN YOUTH ACCESS FOR AGRI-BUSINESS
- Positive discrimination in public policy in order to facilitate the entry of youth into the agriculture sector (land use) - Increase cooperation between farming organizations, governments, private companies and other stakeholders - Youth in leadership trainings to build business skills and foster entrepreneurial spirit in youth.
Although there was a wide spread in levels of literacy, education, business involvement and sophistication of IGAs, there appeared to be a near universal lack of basic business skills among the caregivers. In general, they do not plan ahead, keep records or make decisions based on systematic market or cost/benefit analysis. Most IGAs were chosen due to familiarity or expediency. Few received any training in how to produce or sell their products and virtually none received any training in how to maximize profit through analyses of markets, costs, pricing and the like or record
keeping. When these concepts were explained, the caregivers were enthusiastic about learning such business skills. Although their primary concern was the need for capital, they seemed to accept that training that helped them find their own capital would be advantageous. They seemed willing to take up the responsibility of deciding what business to undertake, how to learn its technicalities, make decisions
based on their own cost/benefit analysis and access the necessary capital.

16. THANK YOU