Presco Launches Pioneering Agribusiness Graduate Programme in Nigeria
Presco, a leading agribusiness company, has launched a pioneering graduate programme in Nigeria, aiming to transform agriculture into a respected and viable career choice for young professionals. The initiative, known as the SIAT Academy Graduate Trainee Programme, is designed to support Presco's expansion while challenging outdated perceptions of agriculture.
The programme, which began in 2021, is more than just a training course. It involves classroom sessions, mentoring, and on-the-job rotations, with successful participants moving into management roles within Presco and the wider SIAT Group. The company is expanding its operations in Nigeria and Ghana, requiring people able to run complex systems, making the academy a pipeline for this new complexity.
Presco's initiative is not only about training but also about changing the perception of agriculture. It aims to show that agriculture offers more than subsistence, with the academy being an investment in people as much as in the business itself. The programme is expected to double in size with the second batch of trainees starting in September, potentially becoming a hub for agribusiness leadership across West Africa. By branding the initiative as 'Pan-African' and running it across borders, Presco is comparing agriculture to other sectors like oil and gas, banking, or telecoms, sending a strong message to policymakers, universities, and the corporate sector about agriculture's potential to drive youth employment and professional growth.
If successful, Presco's initiative may help shift the way agriculture is viewed by Nigeria's graduates, not as an afterthought but as a profession in which one can build a career and a future. The SIAT Academy Graduate Trainee Programme is more than a training course; it is a strategic investment in people and the future of agriculture in Africa.
