The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and the British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) have officially renewed their strategic partnership to tackle youth unemployment through high-impact agribusiness. On January 22, 2026, both organizations signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Abuja, extending the successful Farmers for the Future (F4F) project for another three-year cycle.
First established in 2019, the F4F project has evolved into a premier launchpad for young graduates, moving agriculture away from its “subsistence” image toward a sophisticated, tech-driven enterprise model.
The ₦10 Million Grant Structure
The renewed agreement features a competitive funding pool of ₦10 million annually, specifically earmarked for six exceptional corps members with scalable agribusiness concepts. The prize tiers are designed to provide significant capital for varying business sizes:
| Rank | Number of Winners | Grant Amount (per winner) | Total Allocation |
| 1st Place | 1 | ₦3,000,000 | ₦3,000,000 |
| 2nd Place | 2 | ₦2,000,000 | ₦4,000,000 |
| 3rd Place | 3 | ₦1,000,000 | ₦3,000,000 |
Beyond the Money: The F4F “Accelerator” Path
The partnership provides a comprehensive “safety net” for new entrepreneurs, ensuring that the capital is backed by the skills needed to manage it. Selected participants gain access to:
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The “Think-Through” Bootcamp: An intensive virtual and physical training program focused on business modeling, financial literacy, and digital marketing.
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Expert Mentorship: One-on-one sessions with seasoned agribusiness titans to navigate market hurdles and regulatory compliance.
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National Visibility: Utilizing NYSC orientation camps and digital channels to showcase successful youth-led farms as “model businesses” for other graduates.
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Alumni Network: Permanent access to a community of past winners, opening doors to further investment and regional trade opportunities.
Institutional Alignment for Food Security
For the NYSC, the project is a flagship component of its Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) department. By endorsing the F4F project, the NYSC is actively encouraging graduates to view the agricultural value chain—including AgTech, logistics, and processing—as a primary career path rather than a “last resort.”
Oludare Odusanya, General Manager of BATNF, noted that the foundation’s role is to build a structured system that helps corps members transition from “idea to industry.” To maintain 100% transparency, an independent implementing partner (historically organizations like the FATE Foundation) will oversee the grant disbursement and project evaluations.
