Bauchi State Governor, Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed has kicked off the State Government’s disbursement of N625 million in startup grants to 1,250 youths and women. Mr Mohammed said the grants were intended to boost agricultural production and promote agribusiness across the state’s 20 local government areas
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Governor Mohammed spoke during the official presentation of the grants at Tafawa Balewa on Tuesday. He disclosed that each beneficiary would receive N500,000 to establish ventures in chosen areas of agriculture and agri-businesses.
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The governor said the initiative was aimed at tackling unemployment, creating wealth and improving food security through increased youth participation in agriculture.
Addressing the youths, who underwent a two-week intensive practical training in various batches, conducted by the International Skills Acquisition Centre (ISAC) at CSS Farms, Mr Mohammed said, “You will recall that in 2021, this administration supported 1,000 youths and women from across the 20 local government areas.
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“The youths went through intensive practical training at the International Skills Acquisition Centre of CSS Farms in crop production, livestock production, aquaculture, poultry, greenhouse technology, agribusiness management, value addition, and enterprise development.”
He said that the training was fully funded by the Bauchi State government, covering tuition, transportation, accommodation, feeding and other training expenses. He noted that upon completing the training, each participant received a startup pack valued at about N450,000 to establish their agribusiness.
Mr Mohammed explained that the successes recorded by beneficiaries of the 2021 programme informed the launch of the second phase, which commenced in 2025.
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He stated, “Encouraged by these achievements, the government expanded the programme in 2025 to train another 1,250 youths and women from across the state in practical agriculture and agribusiness.
“I am delighted to announce today the commencement of the payment of startup grants of N500,000 each to these 1,250 beneficiaries. This is an investment in productivity, enterprise, employment generation, and the future prosperity of our state. Invest wisely and use the funds judiciously.”
The governor urged the beneficiaries to make prudent use of the grants by establishing sustainable agribusinesses capable of creating jobs and reducing unemployment.
He also encouraged them to contribute meaningfully to the food security and economic development of Bauchi State and Nigeria.
Mr Mohammed directed the state’s Ministry of Agriculture to ensure prompt disbursement of the grants to beneficiaries. Some of the beneficiaries commended the initiative, describing it as a life-changing intervention.
Speaking, a beneficiary, Maryam Ibrahim, who received training in poultry production, said the programme and the startup grant would significantly contribute to employment generation in the state.
Another beneficiary, Mustapha Abdullahi, who was trained in feed production, pledged to establish a feed manufacturing business to supply quality livestock feed to farmers across the state and beyond.
Speaking during the inauguration, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Ilyasu Gital, said the initiative underscored Governor Mohammed’s commitment to empowering youths and women through agriculture while promoting food security and economic development.
According to him, the programme builds on the success of an earlier intervention that trained and supported 1,000 youths and women, many of whom had become entrepreneurs across different agricultural value chains.
“The overarching aim of the starter pack and grant support is to ensure that beneficiaries can effectively apply the skills acquired during training to establish viable ventures, become self-reliant, and generate employment in their communities,” he said.
The commissioner added that Governor Mohammed has approved an enhanced support package in response to prevailing economic realities to ensure beneficiaries derive maximum benefit from the programme.
He described the intervention as more than financial assistance, saying it represented “a strategic investment in human capital and rural development across the 20 Local Government Areas of Bauchi State.”
According to Mr Gital, “By equipping youth and women with practical agribusiness skills and supporting them with starter packs and grants, this administration is building a new generation of modern farmers, processors, and agripreneurs who will drive value addition, market linkages, and innovation in our agricultural value chains.”
The commissioner said the committee would ensure transparency and accountability throughout the disbursement process by screening beneficiaries and supervising payments at the local government level, where recipients would collect their cheques in person.
He named the committee members to include: the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Ibrahim Yusha’u, as Chairman; Director of Agricultural Services, Babaji Maijamaa; Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Ibrahim Ishaku; representatives of the Accountant-General and Auditor-General of Bauchi State; Training Officer, Yusuf Madiya; and Director of Administration and Human Resources, Shehu Yakubu, who will serve as Secretary.
Mr Gital disclosed that the committee’s terms of reference include: verifying the 1,250 trainees, sorting beneficiaries according to their local government areas, conducting payments across the 20 LGAs, ensuring beneficiaries appear in person to receive their cheques, co-opting additional persons where necessary, and submitting a comprehensive report after the exercise.
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