By CHRISTIANA LOT, Jos –
Plateau State Government has unveiled an ambitious plan to cultivate 7,000 hectares of farmland by 2027 in a youth-focused agricultural initiative projected to create between 15,000 and 20,000 opportunities in the agribusiness sector.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang, represented by the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Musa Ibrahim Ashoms, announced the plan during the 2025 International Youth Day celebration in Jos, themed “ Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond.”
Ashoms explained that the programme would run continuously beyond 2025, with 2,500 hectares targeted for cultivation in 2026 and an additional 3,500 hectares in 2027. The initiative will also prioritise mechanisation and strengthening of the state’s agribusiness model, with eventual expansion to the Central and Southern zones.
He emphasised that the programme aligns with key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including ending poverty and hunger, promoting decent work, ensuring peace, and protecting the environment.
“Youth across Plateau are not only beneficiaries but also leaders in agriculture, peacebuilding, and innovation, embodying resilience and ingenuity
“If you are not fortunate to benefit this year, rest assured that you are next in line for the agricultural empowerment plan of this administration. All you need to do is prepare yourself, build your character, get the right credentials, and remain at peace — because we are coming,” he said.
The Commissioner stressed that unity among young people was key to maximising the benefits of the scheme, citing examples of how pooled resources could help start joint ventures such as milling businesses.
To deepen youth participation in governance, Ashoms highlighted the government’s sponsorship of 20 youths to the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies for leadership training, where they contributed to policy development including in tourism.
He called for moving beyond symbolic gestures to structural support, urging genuine youth participation backed by funding, mentorship, and collaboration between government, schools, businesses, and youths themselves to ensure lasting impact.
In addition to the farming plan, Ashoms announced a ₦10 million seed capital donation to youths under the Plateau Youth Council (PYC) platform, with a commitment to monitor the growth of beneficiaries’ enterprises. He further noted that the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in this year’s celebration was intentional, aimed at exposing young people to innovative tools for smarter businesses.
Ashoms reaffirmed the administration’s pro-youth policy, pointing to the appointments of young councillors, chairmen, and commissioners across the state as proof of the Governor’s commitment. He urged youths to embrace diversity, maintain peace, and channel their resilience towards the state’s economic and social development.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Youth Development, Hon. Hitler Joshua Pwajok, said the Mutfwang administration has been deliberate in empowering young people economically while preparing them to take over leadership in the near future. He noted that the Back-to-Farm initiative has already cultivated over 1,000 hectares this year, with expansion targets of 2,500 hectares in 2026 and 3,500 hectares in 2027, alongside training and mechanised farming to empower up to 20,000 youths.
Pwajok added that the Governor had promised to involve 60% of Plateau youths in governance—a commitment now evident in the number of young people occupying leadership positions in ministries, agencies, parastatals, and local government councils.
