0
0
The Lagos State Government has created over 15,000 jobs through the Lagos Agripreneurship Programme (LAP). The initiative equips youths with modern agricultural skills and promotes food security.
The programme targets youths aged 18 to 30, offering training, internships, and mentorship to expose participants to opportunities across the food system.
LAP Empowers Youths
Folake Ogunlana-Lawal, Director of the Agricultural Training Institute, Araga, Epe, spoke during the closing ceremony of the 26th cohort. She described LAP as a key platform for youth empowerment and capacity building in modern agriculture.
“Over 5,000 youths have been trained under the programme, and each graduate has empowered an average of two to three other persons through agricultural enterprises,” she said.
Programme Structure
The initiative follows a four-month training cycle:
-
One month of on-site demonstrations at the Lagos State Agricultural Training and Entrepreneurial Centre, Araga-Epe
-
Three-month internship and mentorship with agro-allied companies
Participants receive accommodation, meals, training materials, and safety kits. The final stage includes enterprise activation at the Lagos Food Production and Entrepreneurial Centre, Songhai, Badagry.
Building a Sustainable Agricultural Sector
Ogunlana-Lawal highlighted that LAP promotes resilient and sustainable agriculture, reduces unemployment, and encourages climate-smart farming. The programme is modeled after Israel’s Arava International Centre for Agriculture Training (AICAT), emphasizing practical learning.
She also praised Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, and other stakeholders for supporting youth empowerment and agricultural development.
Beneficiaries Share Their Experience
Two graduates, Ayodeji Oyindamola John and Balogun Saheed Ololade, commended the state government for the opportunity.
-
Ayodeji, an Agricultural Extension and Rural Development graduate, said the programme improved his practical agricultural skills and entrepreneurship.
-
Balogun added that the training in aquaculture and pig production prepared him to start an agribusiness that contributes to meat production and job creation.
