Sunday 22 February 2015



AIM                                                                              The Festival is a unique platform to celebrate youth-led farms and agribusinesses, build capacities of young people in the sector and engage with relevant stakeholders.
GOAL
To promote a youth-led agribusiness society, reduce poverty and increase active youth participation in sustainable agriculture.
OBJECTIVES
1.      To promote mentoring and business opportunities for young farmers and agropreneurs
2.      To create a platform to enable youth and stakeholders to appreciate the role of Agriculture in rebuilding the Nation.
3.      To provide a unique platform to support and integrate youth into the Nation’s Youth Employment in Agriculture Programme (YEAP), Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) and Africa Vision 2063
4.      To advocate for increased public investments in small scale Agriculture for youth
5.      To celebrate Nigerian youth in Agriculture which will be translated into specific proposals and recommendations to governments and development partners at the end of this campaign.
CATEGORIES OF AWARD
1.         Production:
             a. Crop
             b. Livestock
             c. Aquaculture
2.         Agro Processing and Packaging

3.         Agribusiness/Agropreneurship:
            a. Innovation
            b. Marketing
            c. Sales
            d. Branding
            e. Networking
            f. Advocacy
            g. Consulting
            h. Training
ELIGIBILITY
1.         Applicant shall be a Nigerian Youth resident in any part of Nigeria
2.         Applicant shall be a male or female farmer or agropreneur between the ages of 18-35 years.
3.         Applicant shall be willing to mentor other youth in their area(s) of specialization.
4.         Applicant must have been involved in any of the award categories mentioned above for at least 2years.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
1.      Scale of Operation: Small, medium and large scales of operation are considered. Size and number of various enterprises identified in category (1) above, e.g. Size of land/crops, number of livestock and poultry, surface area of fishpond(s), number of beehives and the yield realized from these are used to classify scale of operation where applicable.
2.      Sustainable Agriculture: Applicant should be conversant with cultural practices such as fertilizer application, weed, pest and disease control as well as animal production techniques.
3.      Identification of Farming Problems and Innovation: Applicant should be able to identify and solve environmental problems affecting his/her Agricultural enterprise using indigenous knowledge or technology.
4.      Record Keeping: Applicant should have adequate knowledge of book/record keeping that will assist him/her to evaluate the success or failure of the enterprise.
5.      Adoption of New Technology: Applicant should prove that he/she is in tune with innovations with regard to improved practices, inputs and techniques which will increase his/her agricultural productivity.
6.      Farmer’s Role in his or her Community: To be considered suitable for the award, the farmer must contribute towards the growth of the community in which he or she lives in. He/she should extend to, or share knowledge with other farmers in the community.
7.      General Impression of Applicant and Agric enterprise: The general outlook of the applicant and his/her agric enterprise is very important. The applicant should be able to demonstrate potentials in the enterprise that can be used to empower other youth and community members.
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION
All applications must be submitted ONLINE on or before Friday, February 27, 2015.
AWARD PRESENTATION

The award will be presented during the 1ST National Youth Agric Festival on March 18, 2015 in Abuja.
            Register to participate at  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/national-youth-agric-festival-tickets-15827025058