Oyo State governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, on Monday, kicked off the disbursement of the ₦1.5billion to 1,000 beneficiaries under the Youth Entrepreneurs in Agriculture Programme/the Sustainable Action for Economic Recovery (YEAP-SAfER) initiative.
The governor restated that youth empowerment and agribusiness remained central to his administration’s vision to expand the economy of the state.
The YEAP-SAfER initiative, which took place at the Oyo State Agribusiness Transformation Centre, Fasola, was in partnership with the First City Monument Bank (FCMB)/Mastercard Foundation.
The initiative will see 1,000 youths who had participated in state-sponsored trainings at the CSS Integrated Farms, Gora, Nasarawa State get ₦1.5 million each.
Governor Makinde also announced the approval of ₦10,000 monthly as transport support for the civil/public servants in Oyo State to cushion the effect of the rising cost of transportation on workers.
He congratulated the beneficiaries after presenting symbolic cheques to some of the beneficiaries of the YEAP-SAfER initiative, themed “Agri-Entrepreneurial Support Partnership.”
He said the youth entrepreneurs agriculture programme, started in 2021, has brought tremendous positive results, adding that the YEAP-SAfER disbursement of funds was about reinforcing a system with the support of his team.
He equally noted that his administration’s roadmaps have helped to reshape the future of the state, with several successes in the agribusiness sector, road infrastructure and other key areas.
The governor however stated that he would suggest the trajectory for the next administration by pointing it in the right direction on the YEAP-SAfER initiative as well as the completion of the 110km Circular Road, among others.
He pointed out that the state has positioned itself among the top performing states across key economic indices in Nigeria, thus giving it the status of a worthy investment destination.
“Back in 2021 when the first batch of YEAP trainees were sent to CSS Global Integrated in Nasarawa, some of you here today started that journey with uncertainty.
“But today, you stand with opportunity in your hands. So, today is not just about disbursing funds, it is about reinforcing a system.
“We are demonstrating that sustainable development is not built on isolated interventions, but on deliberate, structured, and consistent actions over time.
“From the very beginning of this administration, we understood that economic prosperity does not happen by chance; it happens when three things are prioritised. One is education, knowledge.
“That’s why we started by sending the YEAP trainees to Nasarawa so that you can have a perspective of modern agribusiness practices.
“Entrepreneurship also must be present. That’s why some of you are saying today that you have started employing other people.
“And, finally, productivity must be present. You have to be productive. It’s not about sharing federal allocations in Abuja.
“So, those three things must be present for economic prosperity to happen. That understanding informed what we call the Oyo State Roadmap for Accelerated Development 2019-2023.
“Yes, we had OYSADEP, but it was moribund. So, we created a new institution and that is why we are here today because they’ve done really well.
“We also created opportunities for our people to become active participants, not just observers in the economy. But we also knew that acceleration without sustainability will be short-lived.
“That is why we evolved into a Roadmap for Sustainable Development 2023-2027, ensuring that every gain we make today can be sustained tomorrow.
“The YEAP-SAfER initiative sits firmly within this vision. These are youth entrepreneurs in agribusiness projects and then we have SAfER, which is the Sustainable Action for Economic Recovery.
“So, the two of them coming together, means the people collecting their cheques today will go out there to create wealth for our state.
“Over the past few years, as I said we have invested in training, we have provided input, built knowledge, and exposed our young people to modern agribusiness practices.
“So, what we are doing today, within this disbursement, is taking the next logical step, enabling productivity to scale,” Makinde said.
The governor charged the beneficiaries to put the funds to good use so as to improve productivity in the state and to also secure their own future.
Governor Makinde also appreciated FCMB/Mastercard Foundation, which provided ₦1 billion to match the ₦500million capital provided by Oyo State for the YEAP-SAfER initiative.
Earlier in his welcome address, Director-General, Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency (OYSADA), Dr Debo Akande, said the empowerment of the agripreneurs was the culmination of a deliberate effort to build a sustainable future in agribusiness with a shift from intervention to structure and from activities to system through the beneficiaries.
He added that the programme was aimed at creating a pathway that would connect training to enterprise, finance and ultimately growth.
Akande stated that over 50,000 young entrepreneurs in agribusiness have been trained across the state in the past five years.
Also speaking, FCMB representative and Zonal Director, Mr Kabiru Salawu, commended Governor Makinde for his confidence in the young people of the state and in the power of agribusiness to drive wealth creation and sustainable development.
In her remarks, BoI representative, South-West Region, Mrs Tayo Onikola, also appreciated Governor Makinde for supporting young farmers especially women in agribusiness.
Speaking on behalf of the YEAP-SAfER beneficiaries, Dolapo Opekun appreciated the governor, noting that the initiative would improve their productivity.
