By Justina Auta Edited by Uche Anunne

Nigeria’s agribusiness stakeholders have reaffirmed their commitment to advancing inclusive growth and youth empowerment through strengthened multi-stakeholder partnerships. This pledge follows a strategic engagement in Abuja with a delegation from the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), led by Mr. Sadiq Rabiu, Special Assistant to the President on Capacity Development (OSAP-CD).

The UNITAR team, visiting from Geneva, Switzerland, met with key Nigerian stakeholders to accelerate collaboration on the Prosperity Futures Initiative (PFI)—a transformative programme aimed at equipping Nigeria’s next generation of agripreneurs.

Rabiu emphasized that PFI will serve as a catalyst for modernizing agriculture through targeted capacity building.

“The initiative is designed to cultivate a pipeline of agripreneurs armed with technical, entrepreneurial, and digital competencies to thrive across agricultural value chains,” he stated.

He added that the partnership with UNITAR will establish structured pathways linking training to finance, enabling youth beneficiaries to access business expansion support and sustainable growth opportunities.

The visit also marked a preparatory milestone for the official launch of PFI and its pilot phase, which will integrate digital learning, expert-led workshops, and community-based entrepreneurship support.

“This collaboration reflects a shared vision to build a resilient ecosystem that fosters innovation, enterprise development, and employment for young Nigerians,” Rabiu noted.

UNITAR’s Director of the Division for Prosperity, Ms. Mihoko Kumamoto, praised Nigeria’s potential and reiterated the UN body’s commitment to inclusive development.
“We are proud to stand with Nigeria—especially its youth, women, and persons with disabilities—in unlocking their full potential and shaping successful careers in agriculture,” Kumamoto said.

The Prosperity Futures Initiative will be rolled out across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, with a focus on strengthening local agricultural institutions and promoting digital agribusiness, entrepreneurship, and inclusive capacity building.