Youth participation key to food security and agricultural innovation – IITA DG

IITA–CGIAR Director General, Dr Simeon Ehui, has emphasized that youth involvement is crucial to the future of agriculture and global food security. He noted that youth play a strategic role in driving the adoption of innovative agricultural practices that boost productivity while safeguarding the environment.

The DG, represented by the Deputy Director-General, Partnerships for Delivery, Dr Tahirou Abdoulaye, spoke in Ibadan recently at this year’s International Youth Day event, organized by the IITA’s Youth in Agribusiness Unit (IYA) with the theme ‘Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond,’ pointed out that the institute introduced the IYA over ten years ago to recognize young people’s pivotal role in sustainable agriculture and food security.

He stated, “IITA is a research and development institute, and we realized early enough that supporting young people to scale our technologies and share such innovations with the rest of the world positions them to contribute significantly to the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals like no poverty, zero hunger, decent work and economic growth, and Climate action. This is why our program for the youth has grown to become a movement. Now, we must make other youths across Africa realize that agriculture is profitable and sustainable.

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