Togo’s Agricultural Research Institute Opens 150 Training Slots for Youth

Agriculture

Wednesday, 27 August 2025 11:05

Togo’s Agricultural Research Institute Opens 150 Training Slots for Youth

150 spots available for youth aged 18–35, 40% reserved for women.
Training covers integrated cropping systems, improved seed production, and agri-food processing.
Applications close on September 19, 2025.

The Togolese Institute of Agricultural Research (ITRA) has launched a new call for applications to train young people in modern agriculture. The programme offers 150 places for Togolese youth aged 18 to 35, with 40% reserved for women.

The training will focus on three innovative areas: integrated cropping systems in Atakpamé, improved market garden seed production in Dapaong, and agri-food processing in Tsévié. ITRA said the objective is to give participants hands-on knowledge to strengthen agricultural value chains.

The programme, backed by the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF), is part of the ECOWAS regional strategy to boost youth employability in agriculture, fisheries, and livestock. Authorities said applicants must be ECOWAS nationals, resident in Togo, and not have previously joined the programme.

Officials stressed that the initiative aims not only to train young people but also to address a shortage of skilled labour. Agriculture provides two-thirds of jobs in West Africa, according to the Sahel and West Africa Club, but struggles to attract youth.

The training complements the ECOWAS Regional Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP) and its Investment Plan (Priasan). These frameworks aim to fight unemployment, reduce rural exodus, and encourage self-employment in farming.

ITRA said applications close on 19 September 2025.

This article was initially published in French by Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum

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