Applications are open for the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Young Africa Works-IITA Project 2020 in partnership with Mastercard Foundation . The Young Africa Works-IITA Project is currently seeking applicants within Kaduna, Kano and Lagos, to build their capacity to be trained and work within the supported value chain of rice, soybean, maize, cowpea, poultry, vegetable, mushroom, groundnut, fish and livestock. This project is designed to advance agribusiness opportunity to over 40,000 Nigerian youths especially women. The programme has identified several enterprises and successful agribusiness models attractive to youths.
The Young Africa Works-IITA project has partnered with financial institutions such as Sterling Bank, NIRSAL to facilitate access to sources of finance and credit. The program is aware of the skills gap between youth and potential employers, as a result, this training aims to better match these two interests. This will be conducted through commercial internships and mentorship in order to further advance skills development and find better jobs. Youth emerging from employment-track training are provided assistance to find decent jobs through professional placement services.
Benefits
- Skills development, decent employment and entrepreneurship opportunity for youth to secure dignified and fulfilling work in agri-food value chains for the next five years.
- Youth-sensitive loan and agribusiness support programs in collaboration with financial institutions that recognize the specialized needs of youth as agricultural borrowers.
- Transition youth vocational training centres into youth agribusiness parks that offer workspace, experiential learning, opportunities and collective services to youth
- A certificate will be issued upon completion of the training program.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be 18 – 35 years old and ordinarily resident in the respective municipal area
- Must have attained at least Junior Secondary School 3 (JSS3) for entrepreneurship track & a diploma for employment track.
- Willingness to commit at least 6 weeks for the training
- Must demonstrate passion for agriculture and show interest in the project focus commodities
- Must have access to a functional mobile phone
- Being affiliated to a registered association is an added advantage
The application deadline is on December 12, 2020
