The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with agripreneur firms Integrated Lancaster Farms and Assetrise Limited to combat food insecurity and youth unemployment through innovative agricultural projects.
The agreements, presented during NSE’s international conference in Abuja, are part of the society’s “rebirth agenda,” which targets resolving Nigeria’s agricultural challenges while creating sustainable job opportunities.
NSE President Margaret Oguntala praised the collaboration, highlighting its potential to merge engineering expertise with agribusiness to modernize farming and empower Nigerian youth.
Initiative Objectives
The initiative will establish demonstration farms nationwide to equip graduates with hands-on farming skills. Oguntala remarked, “This partnership will not only advance NSE’s mission but also empower Nigerians while addressing food security challenges. It’s a mutually beneficial endeavor for all involved.”
Program Highlights
Oluwadurotimi Ojamamoye, Group Managing Director of Assetrise Limited, outlined the program’s structure, which includes:
- Demonstration Farms: Starting with 100 hectares at the Federal University of Agriculture, with an eventual expansion to 1,000 hectares for yam cultivation.
- Youth Empowerment: Training 1,500 graduates, each receiving one hectare of farmland to cultivate post-training.
- Success in Lagos: Assetrise’s record of cultivating over one million yam tubers in Lagos in 2023 and the projection of three million in 2024 demonstrate the scalability of this approach.
Patrick Obidoyin, Co-founder of Integrated Lancaster Farms, stressed the partnership’s capacity to reduce unemployment, asserting that “Nigeria has everything it needs to shift from food shortages to agricultural surpluses.”
Broader Vision
The collaboration is aligned with NSE’s overarching goal of revolutionizing Nigeria’s agricultural sector and fostering sustainable employment through engineering-led solutions. The society is optimistic that these efforts will contribute significantly to addressing the nation’s food insecurity and unemployment challenges.
This partnership sets the stage for a transformation in Nigeria’s agricultural landscape, positioning young agripreneurs at the forefront of the nation’s push toward food sufficiency and economic growth.