For over three decades, the Leventis Foundation has been at the forefront of providing training in agricultural development, empowering thousands of young people and farmers with vital skills in agribusiness and eco-friendly farming practices. The foundation has trained over 31,000 youths and farmers through its one-year programmes and short courses, spending over N2.5b annually to train youths in six agricultural training schools across different parts of the country.
In this interview with the BusinessDay team of Godfrey Essien, Assistant General Manager (Business Dev.) Tony Ailemen, Assistant New Editor, and Ojochenemi Onje, Hope Usieta, the Executive Director of the Leventis Foundation in Abuja, discussed the organisation’s vision for Nigeria’s agricultural future, the challenges posed by insecurity, the impact of its training programmes, and the other issues… Excerpts
Let’s start with the core mission of the Leventis Foundation. Please, bring us up to speed on the vision driving the agribusiness and skill acquisition training programme.
Our vision at Leventis Foundation is to attract youths and existing farmers into agriculture to enhance their productivity. We focus on training them to adopt eco-friendly practices, which not only boost yields but also sustain the environment. Ultimately, we aim to reduce the drudgery in farming while strengthening Nigeria’s food basket.
That’s an inspiring mission. Over the years, how many young people and farmers have benefitted from your programmes?
We’ve been in agribusiness training for 36 years now, and within that time, we’ve trained over 31,000 youths and farmers through our regular one-year training programme and various short courses. These programmes equip them with practical agricultural skills that improve their livelihoods.
We operate six agricultural training schools across Nigeria in partnership with state governments. These schools are located in Yaba, within the Abaji Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory. We also have our school in the premises of the former ‘Animal Traction Training Institute’ in Panda village of Albasu Local Government Area of Kano, Kano State; Tumu in Gombe State; Ilesha in Osun State; Idoani in Ondo State; and Dogondawa in Kaduna State—although that school is currently not functional due to security concerns.
“During the programme, they enjoy free tuition, accommodation, feeding, and a monthly stipend for the 10-month duration. After training, we work with state governments to provide graduates with startup packages.”
You have just stated that the school in Kaduna is not functional. Can you elaborate on why it was shut down?
Yes, sadly, the school in Dogondawa, Kaduna, was forced to shut down due to worsening insecurity in the region. Over the past six years, more than 3,000 farmers and youths have been denied access to our agribusiness training there. We had to prioritise the safety of both trainees and staff, but we hope to reopen the school when conditions improve.
The burden of funding these training must be very heavy. How is the Leventis Foundation funded, and how do you manage the operational costs for these training centres?
The foundation is primarily funded through an endowment from the Leventis family. Additionally, we operate a partnership model with state governments, who share the annual running costs of each training school. On average, it costs about ₦2.5 billion annually to run these centres. This covers the trainees’ needs since it’s a full residential program—free tuition, accommodation, feeding, training materials, and even a monthly stipend while undergoing the training.
Is there a specific budget allocated for media and outreach, given the need to publicise such opportunities?
Yes, we do have a budget for media and outreach. We run advertisements to recruit new trainees and also have a dedicated media team to handle public relations. However, as a foundation, we strive to ensure that most of our funds go directly into the training and support of the farmers. Still, we recognise the importance of media in spreading awareness, so we allocate resources accordingly.
Let’s talk about incentives. What benefits do trainees receive during and after the programme?
The trainees get a lot. During the programme, they enjoy free tuition, accommodation, feeding, and a monthly stipend for the 10-month duration. After training, we work with state governments to provide graduates with startup packages. Some states, like the FCT and Kano, are particularly diligent in providing these post-training kits. We also connect graduates to financial institutions, helping them access loans and grants. In cases where external funding is delayed or unavailable, we offer micro-credit facilities through the foundation, often at minimal interest rates, to help them kickstart their agribusiness ventures.
That’s a robust support system. Can you give us an idea of how much trainees typically receive in startup funds or loans?
The amount varies depending on the enterprise. For instance, someone setting up a poultry farm with 100 day-old chicks might need about ₦1.5 million, while someone farming two hectares of maize would require a different amount. We work closely with trainees to develop comprehensive business plans and offer them loans tailored to their specific needs. These loans are often interest-free or come with a nominal administrative fee of about 5 percent.
Do you also collaborate with government institutions like NIRSAL or other financial institutions to provide these trainees with the necessary post-training support?
Yes, we have collaborated with institutions like NIRSAL in the past. While they don’t fund our operations directly, they provide loan opportunities for our graduates. We prepare our trainees thoroughly, ensuring they meet the requirements for funding from such agencies. In fact, banks and development agencies frequently visit our schools to engage directly with the trainees, guiding them on how to access these loans.
For aspiring trainees, how do people apply for the Leventis Foundation’s agribusiness training, and what qualifications do they need?
For our regular one-year training programme, applicants must be between 18 and 40 years old and have at least a secondary school certificate. We also look for individuals who show genuine interest in agriculture and are physically fit for the hands-on nature of the programme. For those outside this age range or professionals seeking specific skills, we offer short-term courses in areas like poultry farming, fishery, and snail farming.
How does one find out about these opportunities and apply?
We run recruitment advertisements, typically in January, and allow the application process to run for about six weeks. Interested candidates can apply online or through designated centres. We conduct screening exams and interviews before selecting the final list of trainees. However, the growing interest in our programmes has been overwhelming. This year alone, we received over 18,000 applications for less than 500 available slots at our FCT school. To manage this, we’ve expanded our screening centres and are working on more efficient processes. We advertise through multiple channels to ensure we reach as many people as possible. We use two major national newspapers for print advertising and leverage social media, which has been quite impactful in spreading the word. People often contact us after seeing our adverts for more information. Part of the application process includes submitting documents like attestation letters, state of origin certificates, and sometimes letters from a Justice of the Peace. It’s a robust process designed to ensure the right candidates are selected.
That level of interest speaks volumes about the value of your programme. So, given the security challenges that forced the closure of your Kaduna centre, what steps is the foundation taking to ensure the safety of students and staff at other locations?
Security is a major concern, and we take it seriously. We constantly assess the safety of our training centres and work closely with local authorities to ensure the security of our trainees and staff. In high-risk areas like Kaduna, we had no choice but to suspend operations until it’s safe to resume. We hope that with improved security measures nationwide, we’ll soon be able to reopen the Kaduna centre and continue empowering more farmers.
We also know you have a partnership with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). Could you tell us more about that?
Absolutely. The NYSC partnership started in 2021. It was born from a shared vision to empower Nigerian youth by equipping them with agribusiness skills to improve their economic prospects. Through this programme, we train corps members in various agribusiness disciplines at our centres across the country. These corps members not only receive training but also gain access to opportunities available to other young Nigerians. We have seen great success. For instance, during our jointly organised Agricultural Youth Summit with the NYSC, some of the trained corps members showcased their agribusiness ventures. Many participated in an agribusiness pitch competition, and several won grants funded by our foundation and partners. These grants have helped them launch or expand their agribusinesses. The goal is for them to complete their one-year service and already have a business running.
Speaking of partnerships, how much support do you get from the government?
Youth empowerment is crucial for national development, especially considering the unemployment challenges in the country. We’ve partnered with several state governments, particularly in states where we have training centres. We also collaborate with the Federal Capital Territory and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, participating in their programmes and sharing knowledge.
However, there’s still room for more support. We’ve received nearly 19,000 applications for our programmes, but due to limited capacity at our centres, we can’t accommodate everyone. We need government support to expand infrastructure—more classrooms, better accommodation for trainees—and provide resources to help graduates transition into profitable agribusiness ventures.
Additionally, there’s significant interest from regions like the South-South, where we don’t yet have training centres. It’s not for lack of trying—states need to express interest and commit to establishing schools, and then the foundation steps in. We’re hopeful that ongoing discussions with states in the South-South and Southeast will yield positive results soon.
It seems clear that more collaboration could amplify your impact. How do you evaluate the success of your programmes over time?
Monitoring and evaluation are crucial for us. We conduct comprehensive surveys every five years to assess how our graduates are doing in the agribusiness space. The last survey in 2018 showed that 70 percent of our graduates were still actively involved in agricultural production, and another 15 percent had ventured into agro-allied businesses. That tells us that the programme is truly making a difference.
We maintain a database of our trainees, which helps track their progress. This information is available for public consumption. In fact, we encourage media involvement to highlight our transparency and success stories, which can attract more investors and government partners. We’re also open to journalists visiting our ex-trainees to see their businesses in action.
Speaking of challenges, insecurity has been a significant issue in some regions. How has that affected your operations?
Unfortunately, insecurity has had a real impact. For example, our school in Dogondawa, Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State, has been shut down since 2019 due to banditry in the area. It’s heartbreaking because it means young people in that locality have missed out on valuable training opportunities.
However, in other regions, we have been able to continue operating. Our schools in Kano, Gombe, FCT, and Ondo are all functional. Still, insecurity remains a concern for us and many others in the agricultural sector, affecting not just training but food production as well. We hope that with ongoing government interventions, the situation will improve.
You mentioned earlier that you have six schools, but only four are functional. What’s the situation with the other two?
Yes, we currently have six schools, but two aren’t operational. As I mentioned, the one in Kaduna has been closed due to insecurity. The other, in Yutani, has faced challenges with counterpart funding from the state government, which has stalled its operations.
I recall attending one of your Agricultural Youth Summits where ex-trainees showcased their businesses. Could you tell us more about the purpose of that event?
The Agricultural Youth Summit is one of our flagship events. It brings together players in the agribusiness sector—youth, government officials, and private sector stakeholders—to network and discuss challenges and opportunities in agriculture. For our trainees and ex-trainees, it’s a chance to showcase their businesses, meet potential customers or investors, and even win grants to scale their ventures.
At the last summit, one of our ex-trainees, a former NYSC corps member, won a grant for her mushroom farming business. We later partnered with her to supply mushrooms for a project in Calabar. These are the kinds of success stories that the summit fosters—real economic growth and opportunity.
Are there plans for another summit soon?
Yes, we’re planning another Agricultural Youth Summit this year. We’re currently looking for partners and sponsors to support the event and the grants we award. We want to ensure more youth across Nigeria can benefit, even those who haven’t gone through our training programmes.
What is your vision for the future of the foundation?
Our vision is to expand our reach, especially to underserved regions, so that more Nigerian youth can gain valuable agribusiness skills and create sustainable livelihoods. We aim to strengthen our partnerships with governments, private sector players, and the media to maximise our impact. Ultimately, we want to see a Nigeria where youth are not just job seekers but job creators in the agricultural sector.
