Agriculture

Minister Sponsors Training 20 Young Farmers In Oyo

Published

6 years ago

September 27, 2020

Joel Ajayi

In a bid to eradicate poverty and ensure food security in Oyo state, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare under the supervision of the National Directorate of Employment NDE has commenced the training of 20 Youth in Agriculture in a bid to expose them to various agricultural techniques.

This is in line with the charge of Mr. President to encourage and support the youth to take to agriculture.

The flag-off of the 3-month training took place at the Oyo East local government Secretariat with young men and women in attendance.

In a message sent by the Minister on the first day of the 90 days training, he said

“The agricultural sector is a key-value chain of the economy, which will make the beneficiaries to be productive to themselves and the society in general. This programme is meant to build young farmers, make everyone self-reliant and provide food security in the state.

The beneficiaries were selected from the 33 local government areas in Oyo state. The participants will be trained on various aspects of agriculture such as crop production, fishery, palm oil processing and livestock. After the training, each participant shall receive farm tools to support them to turning the training into practice.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Matthew a beneficiary said “Great honour to the Minister, Mr Sunday Dare for this great plan to empower unemployed people in the State to be self-employed in the agricultural sector.

Another beneficiary, Mr. Atolagbe from Oyo west local government said ”

I’m elated to be a part of this program and I thank our Minister, for the opportunity.

NDE coordinator of the programme in the Oyo State office of NDE, Mr. Adedoja Kabir called on people to embrace agriculture in order to ensure food sufficiency in the state. He confirmed that the Youth were personally sponsored by the Minister of Youth and Sports for the Scheme.

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Agriculture

PULA, Leadway Assurance Disburse ₦396 Million to Climate-Affected Farmers, Strengthen Food Security Efforts

Published

3 weeks ago

April 24, 2026

The Gleamer

In a major intervention to shield smallholder farmers from climate shocks, agri-insurtech firm PULA has spearheaded the disbursement of ₦396,697,672 in insurance claims to over 40,000 farmers impacted during the 2025 wet season.

The payout, executed in partnership with Leadway Assurance and supported by the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit (PFSCU), covered farmers across Taraba, Borno, Kaduna, and Plateau States who suffered climate-related losses.

The initiative was made possible in part by Bayer Foundation, whose $450,000 premium subsidy support in 2025 wet season helped lower the cost of insurance for thousands of vulnerable smallholders in 8 states, with 4 states receiving payouts. The Foundation is set to scale up its contribution to match the growing aspirations of state governments.

Speaking at the cheque presentation ceremony in Abuja during the 2025 Wet Season Insurance Claims Payout under the National Agribusiness Planning Mechanism (NAPM), PULA’s Nigeria Country Director, Dr. Michael Enahoro, said the initiative goes beyond compensation, insisting that it’s about securing Nigeria’s food systems.

“Our focus is not just on payouts but on increasing food production. We must continue to support farmers who work tirelessly under harsh conditions to feed the nation,” Dr. Enahoro said. He called for stronger policies that directly impact farmers and reaffirmed PULA’s commitment to expanding agricultural insurance as a tool for resilience.

PULA’s data-driven approach to climate risk was key to identifying affected farmers and triggering payments. The company worked with Leadway Assurance to underwrite the risk, while PFSCU aligned the program with the national food security agenda. State governments also supported grassroots enrollment.

Gboyega Lesi, MD/CEO of Leadway Assurance, described the payout as “a reinforcement of a safety net that protects the hard work of thousands of farmers,” adding that “through climate insurance, we ensure that a bad season does not translate into total loss of livelihood.” He commended PULA’s technology and field structure for making rapid, transparent payouts possible.

Ayoola Fatona, Global Head of Agric Solutions at Leadway Assurance, noted that the 2025 wet season brought significant climate variability and yield fluctuations. “The true value of insurance lies in claims payment, especially in challenging periods. Our data-driven partnership with PULA helped mitigate losses,” he said.

Looking ahead, PULA and Leadway Assurance plan to scale coverage to 73,000 farmers in the 2026 farming season, deepening penetration of climate insurance across Nigeria’s food-producing belts.

Commissioners from the beneficiary states commended PULA and Leadway Assurance for de-risking agriculture, restoring farmers’ confidence, and building a more resilient agricultural sector

State-by-state breakdown of claims facilitated by PULA: