STEP Archives - IITA News

A life-changing experience with I-Youth – Series 1

The Innovative Youth in Agriculture (I-Youth) project has completed year 1 activities across various project components in Kaduna, Kano, and Lagos states. IITA is implementing the I-Youth project in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, cutting across six components: agricultural orientation, agribusiness internships, technical internships, young farmers’ cohort, Start Them Early Program (STEP), and e-commerce. The…

IITA DG encourages teachers to create agribusiness enterprises

The impact of the IITA youth program Start Them Early Program (STEP) is far reaching; it goes beyond focusing on students alone and influences teachers to make the right entrepreneurial decisions to generate more income for themselves. The communities, by extension, enjoy the intervention because of the numerous benefits from the program, including the provision…

I want to become a classy farmer—STEP club member

Oluwadamilare Opadotun is the secretary of the Start Them Early Program (STEP) club at Vetland Senior Grammar School in Lagos. She was one of the panelists that discussed teachers’ and students’ experiences in teaching and learning agriculture during the I-Youth Connect conference, organized by the Innovative Youth in Agriculture (I-Youth) project in Lagos recently. The…

Governor Seyi Makinde commissioning the STEP Agribusiness Building.

STEP-Oyo bets on the next generation to secure food security

Oyo State has realized that the interest of teenagers and youth can be captured through modern agriculture. In partnership with IITA on the Start Them Early Program (STEP), the Oyo State government (OYSG) commissioned the first STEP-Oyo project at the Methodist High School, Ibadan, on 28 May. The project was established to introduce this initiative…

STEP impact goes beyond secondary schools to communities

The Start Them Early Program (STEP) of IITA is making more impact than was envisioned at the beginning of the program. STEP, which was initially meant to change the negative mindset of secondary school students about agriculture, has also begun to positively impact parents and the communities where these secondary schools are located. The STEP…

STEP initiative to reduce number of out-of-school children in Oyo State

The Start Them Early Program (STEP) can help the Oyo State government reduce the number of out-of-school children in the State. The Coordinator of IITA’s STEP initiative, Adedayo Adefioye, made this assertion on 23 July 2020, during the official launch of the program and the modern agribusiness training facilities at Fasola Grammar School in Oyo…

IITA launches Agribusiness Training Program for secondary schools in Oyo State

Ibadan, Nigeria – The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), through a new initiative known as the Start Them Early Program (STEP), is introducing agribusiness training in secondary schools in Oyo State. To promote interest in agriculture and learning among the secondary-school aged children, IITA will launch a modern agribusiness training facility at Fasola Grammar…

Agribusiness made easy through the use of ICT

IITA partners with Mastercard Foundation in Nigeria to implement Young Africa Works

Lagos, Nigeria 16 June, 2020 – The International Institute of Topical Agriculture (IITA), through its Youth in Agribusiness office, is partnering with the Mastercard Foundation in Nigeria to implement the Young Africa Works strategy. The partnership aims to enable 242,724 young Nigerian women and men to build skills and secure dignified and fulfilling work opportunities…

STEP trains five as Oyo commissioners of agriculture and education visit IITA

The CGIAR-IITA Start Them Early Program (STEP) has trained five students of Fasola Grammar School (FGS) on the use of machines for agricultural productivity. The training took place at FGS and coincided with the visit of Oyo State commissioners for agriculture and education. The global outbreak of COVID-19 has affected school and STEP activities due…

Is agriculture a punishment or an opportunity?

It is no longer news that in Africa, agriculture is an occupation practiced by the aged in rural areas. African youth prefer migrating to urban areas in search of white-collar jobs to pursue a career in agriculture. This is because the youth have the mindset about agriculture being difficult and having little gains. The drudgery…