Food Security: Group Trains 837 Youths In Abuja, Targets 20m Nigerians by 2030

The Seyi Tinubu Operation Back to Agriculture Initiative (SOBAI) has trained 837 youths at its Kubwa centre in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as part of efforts to tackle unemployment, promote agricultural entrepreneurship, and strengthen Nigeria’s food security.

The initiative also announced plans to mobilise five million votes for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in the 2027 general elections, leveraging its youth networks, agricultural training programmes, and grassroots mobilisation platforms.

The SOBAI National Coordinator, Mr. Emmanuel Bidi, disclosed this at the group’s training and induction ceremony held in Abuja. He noted that while 1,121 candidates registered for the programme, 837 completed the training and are currently awaiting empowerment support to establish their agribusinesses.

Mr. Bidi explained that the initiative was designed to go beyond skills acquisition by equipping young Nigerians with the requisite knowledge and resources to establish sustainable enterprises, create jobs, and contribute to national food production.

He revealed that SOBAI, in partnership with Praise Agrovet, has trained and empowered 64,734 youths since its inception across the FCT, Nasarawa, Niger, Kogi, Benue, and Kano states.

According to him, the beneficiaries received training across various agricultural value chains, including poultry production, fish farming, and goat rearing, aimed at making agriculture an attractive and profitable venture for youth.

Bidi said the initiative plans to establish and activate 34 agricultural training centres nationwide, with programmes to be accredited by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), as part of its broader ambition to reach 20 million Nigerian youths by 2030.

He added that SOBAI intends to sustain free quarterly agricultural training programmes across the country and establish branded farms in all 36 states of the federation.

The proposed farms, he said, will serve as research, training, and industrial attachment centres, providing practical opportunities for members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

The National Coordinator also stressed the importance of quality animal feed, veterinary products, and competent personnel in improving livestock health, enhancing farm productivity, and ensuring sustainable growth across the agricultural sector.

On its political engagement, Mr. Bidi stated that SOBAI is targeting five million votes for President Tinubu in 2027, noting that the organisation will collaborate with the City Boy Movement and other support groups to expand its advocacy and grassroots outreach.

He clarified, however, that the five-million-vote projection is a mobilisation target rather than a guaranteed electoral outcome, emphasising that voting remains the personal choice of eligible citizens.

Mr. Bidi maintained that the initiative’s empowerment programmes and political engagements will be conducted in strict compliance with applicable laws, adding that transparency, effective implementation, and strategic partnerships remain vital to achieving its objectives.

He urged government agencies, private-sector investors, community leaders, and youth organisations to support agricultural education and entrepreneurship, calling on young Nigerians to embrace farming as a sustainable pathway to wealth creation and national development.