Young Women
in Agriculture
Twelve million young women. Thirty-seven states. A national covenant empowering Nigeria's most productive and most overlooked constituency.
The 12 Million Young Women in Agriculture Mobilisation Campaign Report
A comprehensive account of the national mobilisation campaign across all 36 states and the FCT - the proof of delivery, available now.
This programme is exactly what Africa needs - a concrete, measurable, nationally owned initiative that connects women to land, to income, and to their rightful place in the economy. When we invest in women in agriculture, we invest in the entire nation.
Why Nigeria
Cannot Wait
UNESCO REF's strategic response to Nigeria's food security emergency - bold, inclusive, and globally benchmarked.
Food Security Crisis
Escalating food insecurity threatens 25M+ Nigerians, driven by climate shocks and land degradation demanding scalable, sustainable alternatives at national scale.
The Gender Agriculture Gap
Women constitute 60–80% of Nigeria's smallholder farmers yet receive less than 10% of available agricultural resources and credit - a structural inequity YWA is designed to correct.
Youth Unemployment Crisis
60% of Nigeria's youth are unemployed or underemployed. YWA creates scalable enterprise pathways with guaranteed off-take markets and internationally recognised qualifications.
A Sovereign Response
to a National Emergency
On July 13, 2023, the Federal Government of Nigeria declared a national emergency on food security - recognizing agriculture as a critical national priority. YWA is the institutional response.
The Young Women in Agriculture Programme operates under the UNESCO REF SIP-ALPHA Strategic Implementation Platform, in alignment with Nigeria's Renewed Hope Agenda, the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, and the African Union Agenda 2063.
It is a five-year national programme targeting twelve million young women across all 36 states and the FCT, delivering enterprise-grade agricultural training with internationally recognised certification and guaranteed market access.
Maryam Babangida National Centre
for Women Development
The Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development (MBNCWD) serves as the National Secretariat of the Young Women in Agriculture Programme - a distinction that anchors this initiative at the highest levels of Nigeria's institutional architecture for women's empowerment.
Established by the Federal Government of Nigeria, the MBNCWD provides the sovereign infrastructure through which YWA delivers its national mandate: coordinating state-level implementation, managing programme intelligence, and ensuring transparent accountability to the Nigerian people and to the international development community.
This institutional home is not incidental. It is a deliberate statement by the Federal Government that the empowerment of young Nigerian women in agriculture is a matter of sovereign priority.
National Secretariat Address
Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development1 Better Life Street, Opposite Central Bank of Nigeria
Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria
[email protected]
Scale, Ambition and Global Reach
Three Pillars of Transformation
Enterprise-grade curriculum co-certified by the London School of Management (UK), delivered through an internationally convened consortium.
- Water-efficient year-round cultivation systems
- Climate-smart controlled environment agriculture
- US-led curriculum with international practicum
- Greenhouse campus training - Israel and USA
- LSM UK co-certified qualification
- Industrial fibre crop production and systems management
- Structured off-take contracts at national scale
- Non-oil FX export commodity - forex diversification
- Textile, paper, biofuel value chain development
- ₦400K per acre x 4 cycles = ₦1.6M+ guaranteed income
- ENTILEAD entrepreneurship curriculum delivery
- Agribusiness management and SME scaling
- Women's Space USA one-year membership
- Cross-border mentorship and knowledge exchange
- Global professional network with international alumni
12 Million Champions Across Nigeria
Equally distributed across all 6 geopolitical zones - every state, every LGA, no community left behind.
Geotagged national dashboard tracks farm clusters, training completions, yields, income, and market uptake by LGA - accessible to state governors and SSAP-SDGs.
| Zone | States | Target | Per State | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North West | 7 | 2,000,000 | 285,715 | 16.67% |
| North East | 6 | 2,000,000 | 333,335 | 16.67% |
| North Central | 7 | 2,000,000 | 285,715 | 16.67% |
| South West | 6 | 2,000,000 | 333,335 | 16.67% |
| South East | 5 | 2,000,000 | 400,000 | 16.67% |
| South South | 6 | 2,000,000 | 333,335 | 16.67% |
| NATIONAL TOTAL | 37 | 12,000,000 | Equal | 100% |
UN Sustainable Development Goals
and African Union Agenda 2063
YWA directly addresses 10 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, anchored in the highest international development frameworks.
Also advances the African Union Agenda 2063 - positioning Nigeria as a pragmatic, results-driven continental development leader.
Training and Certification Pathway
ISO/IEC 17024-compliant, UNESCO ISCED aligned, co-certified by the London School of Management, UK
- Multilingual orientation (5 languages)
- Online and practical sessions
- Self-paced flexible study
- UNESCO ISCED aligned
- US-led curriculum delivery
- Hydroponics and kenaf modules
- Hands-on training in Nigeria
- International practicum option
- USA, UK, Israel campuses
- ISO/IEC 17024 compliant
- LSM UK co-certified
- UNESCO REF credential
Guaranteed Livelihoods.
Predictable Prosperity.
Structured off-take agreements guarantee ₦400,000 per acre every 12 weeks, achievable four times a year.
💲 FX Inflows
Kenaf as a non-oil export generates foreign exchange, diversifying Nigeria away from crude oil dependency.
👥 450,000 Jobs
Direct employment across agribusiness, processing, export facilitation and product distribution.
🥗 Food Security
Year-round hydroponic output reduces price volatility and fortifies supply against climate shocks.
🏯 Pension Relief
Civil servants within 5 years of retirement gain enterprise skills and guaranteed market access.
A World-Class Alliance
Across 4 Continents
Delivered through an internationally convened consortium spanning governments, universities, certifying bodies, research institutes, and enterprise networks.
Transparent. Fiduciary-Grade.
Results-Driven.
Built to international financial standards, with real-time visibility accessible to government, donors, and the public.
Fiduciary Controls
Signals of Delivery
Join a Movement That
Feeds Nations
The Young Women in Agriculture Programme is Nigeria's nationally endorsed, internationally benchmarked agricultural transformation initiative. Every partnership deepens the mandate. Every contribution empowers a champion.