IFAD Trains 50 Youth Farmers in Enugu on Social Media Marketing

No fewer than 50 young farmers in Enugu State have received training on how to leverage social media platforms to promote and sell their agricultural produce.

No fewer than 50 young farmers in Enugu State have been trained on how to use social media platforms to market and sell their agricultural produce, as part of efforts to boost youth agribusiness and digital inclusion.

The training was organised by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in collaboration with the Federal Government under the Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP).

Beneficiaries were drawn from five participating local government areas, Aninri, Enugu East, Isi Uzo, Nkanu East and Udenu.

Welcoming participants, the State Knowledge Management and Communication Officer, Mr Hilary Obiora Ali, urged them to take advantage of the opportunity by fully engaging with the sessions and applying the knowledge gained.

He also called on VCDP liaison officers in the benefiting councils to cascade the training to other cooperative members.

One of the facilitators, Christian Nwangene, said the objective of the training was to equip the youths with practical digital marketing skills that would enable them to generate income by promoting their farm produce online.

According to him, the programme forms part of VCDP’s exit strategy, designed to empower beneficiaries with sustainable skills that would support their livelihoods beyond the duration of the intervention.

He explained that participants were taught how to create and optimise social media accounts for business purposes, develop engaging content, and apply basic strategies for growing followers and converting them into customers.

Nwangene identified platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube as viable tools for market expansion, noting that social media has evolved into a major driver of business growth and income generation.

He advised the participants to focus on showcasing their agricultural activities and products online rather than using their platforms solely for personal updates.

He also stressed the importance of consistency, honesty in branding and prompt responses to customer enquiries.

Practical sessions during the training saw participants create Facebook business pages, craft compelling biographies, update WhatsApp business profiles and produce short promotional videos suitable for platforms like TikTok.

Another resource person, Mr Michael Chirotam, spoke on digital marketing strategies, highlighting the need for farmers to understand their target audience, monitor market trends and utilise multiple online channels to improve visibility and sales.

Earlier in his opening remarks, the State Programme Coordinator, Dr Edward Isiwu, encouraged the youths to make meaningful use of the training.

He expressed optimism that the participants would soon record success stories as a result of the skills acquired.

One of the beneficiaries, Mr Okwudili Samuel Ndubisi of Chielota Amorji Nenwe Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society in Aninri Local Government Area, commended the organisers for the opportunity.

He noted that prior to the training, he mainly used his smartphone for chats and watching videos, but had now learnt how to create and manage a business page to promote his products and attract customers.

Participants remained actively engaged throughout the programme, with many successfully setting up their business pages before the end of the training.