YPARD Nigeria Participates in Consultative Ideation Workshop on Strengthening Digital Climate Advisory Services for Youth Employment

YPARD Nigeria was represented by Olaoluwa Farotimi, Communication Focal Person, at the Consultative Ideation Workshop on Strengthening System Linkages for Harmonized Digital Climate Advisory Services (DCAS) and Solutions for Job Creation (CS4Y).

The workshop took place in Abuja, Nigeria, from October 28–30, 2025, bringing together key actors in agriculture, climate innovation, and youth development across Nigeria.

As digital climate services continue to shape the future of resilient agri-food systems, this engagement marks an important opportunity for YPARD to amplify youth voices and contribute to the co-design of inclusive climate and employment solutions.

Why the Workshop Matters

Africa’s food systems face growing climate risks, with many farmers lacking access to timely and actionable climate information. At the same time, youth unemployment remains a persistent challenge.

The CS4Y initiative aims to address both issues by:

• Expanding Digital Climate Advisory Services (DCAS)
• Strengthening system linkages and data-sharing infrastructure
• Creating sustainable jobs and entrepreneurship pathways for young agripreneurs

For YPARD Nigeria, this aligns strongly with our mission to equip young professionals with the skills, knowledge, and platforms they need to thrive in agriculture.

Workshop Highlights

Day 1: Understanding the System

The opening sessions focused on mapping the current Climate Information Services (CIS) ecosystem. Stakeholders such as NiMET, Ignitia, and Extension Africa shared insights on existing digital tools and gaps affecting last-mile delivery.

Participants worked in teams to:

• Map actors using network graphs
• Identify power–interest dynamics
• Develop initial roadmaps for a unified CIS Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)

This stage helped establish a shared understanding of the systemic challenges limiting youth access to reliable climate information.

Day 2: Building Business Models for Change

The second day explored how climate services can directly support youth entrepreneurship.

Using the Business Model Canvas (BMC), teams:

• Identified customer segments and value propositions
• Explored potential revenue models
• Designed partnerships and delivery channels
• Pitched business cases linked to real agricultural challenges

A key highlight was the introduction of the CIS Incubator Concept, designed to nurture youth-led innovations in DCAS and support their journey from ideation to investment readiness.

Day 3: Strengthening Capacities for Quality Service Delivery

The final day focused on the skills and institutional capacities needed to ensure the long-term success of DCAS initiatives.

Discussions covered:

• Basic capabilities (climate literacy, digital literacy, financial literacy)
• Advanced skills needed for translating climate data into localized, actionable advice
• Drafting mock Service Level Agreements (SLAs) between service providers and the proposed CIS DPI

The workshop surfaced four promising business cases that will serve as test sites:

1. Dairy Chain – Kano: Using climate data to guide feed decisions, increase milk yields, and strengthen aggregation and processing.
2. Feed Mill – Kaduna: Leveraging data to diversify feed ingredients with options like high-quality cassava peels and black soldier fly meal.
3. Ginger Processors – Kaduna: Improving production and post-harvest processing through climate-smart varieties, agronomy, drying, and moisture control.
4. Urban Vegetable Growers – Abuja: Supporting youth and women agripreneurs responding to growing urban food demand.

These are not small pilots they are entry points for a business acceleration portfolio where real-time climate information will help de-risk investment, enhance financing decisions, and create measurable jobs for young people.
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Why This Matters for YPARD Nigeria

The CS4Y project presents multiple entry points for youth leadership, innovation, and job creation. YPARD Nigeria is well-positioned to contribute by:

1. Mobilizing and Supporting Young Innovators

YPARD can help identify and mentor young agripreneurs with promising DCAS business ideas, ensuring they benefit directly from the proposed CIS incubator.

2. Strengthening Youth Capacities

With our focus on training and knowledge-sharing, YPARD can support the development of key youth capacities in climate, digital, and financial literacy enabling them to plug into emerging opportunities.

3. Championing Youth Engagement in Climate Innovation

By participating in platforms like this workshop, YPARD Nigeria continues to advocate for meaningful youth inclusion in climate-smart agriculture and agri-food system transformation.

The workshop ended with a commitment to advance the CS4Y initiative from design to implementation by April 2026.

Looking Ahead

YPARD Nigeria looks forward to deepening its engagement with partners across the CS4Y initiative and supporting young agripreneurs as digital climate solutions continue to evolve across Africa.

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