The Innovative Youth in Agriculture (I-Youth) project, implemented by IITA in partnership with Mastercard Foundation Young Africa Works, is extending agribusiness training to secondary school students in Kano, Kaduna, and Lagos states.
I-Youth, through the Start Them Early Program (STEP) component of the project, over the last 18 months, devised several approaches towards attracting students to participate in various activities organized for them to learn modern agriculture in schools and identify career opportunities in the sector.
STEP in I-Youth adopted the hybrid model, which focuses on using the younger youth as agents of agricultural transformation within the school system and in the communities in which they live. The approach is all-encompassing, with students, parents, schools, and the communities benefitting from the opportunities offered by STEP.