AfDB to create 10,000 agric entrepreneurs

African Development Bank (AfDB) has said it plans to make agriculture a profitable business as well as create 10,000 young agricultural entrepreneurs per country in the next 10 years.
 
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina
 President of AfDB
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of AfDB, disclosed this at the 2017 World Food Day celebration which had the theme: “change the future of migration; Invest in food security and rural development.” It was held in Des Moines, Iowa, United States, yesterday.

The World Food Day is celebrated yearly on October 16, to promote worldwide awareness for those who suffer from hunger and need to ensure food security and nutritious diets.

Adesina said Africa’s food security depended on attracting young people to agriculture and agribusiness, adding that the sector can potentially create wealth and employment for African youth, thereby stemming migration.

He urged African leaders to make agriculture attractive to young Africans to stem migration. “In 2016, the bank provided $700 dollars to support this programme in eight countries and we’ve got requests now from 33 countries.

” We must get youths into agriculture and see it as a profitable business venture not a sign of lacking ambition.

“Many African youths are passionate about staying back on the continent to create wealth and employment, if given the tools and opportunities to put their skills to use.”

According to him, under the Empowering Novel Agri-Business-Led Employment (ENABLE) Youth programme, AfDB is working with the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to develop new generation of young commercial farmers and agribusiness entrepreneurs.

AfDB president said increased food demand and changing consumption habits driven by demographic factors such as urbanisation are leading to rapidly rising net food imports in Africa.

He said if the trends are left unchecked food imports will grow from 35 billion dollars in 2015 to over 110 billion dollars by 2025.

“Given that African smallholder farmers are on average about 60 years old, Africa’s food security depends on attracting young people into agriculture and agribusiness and empowering them.


“Governments can support these shifts through the right enabling environments via policy reforms for increased private investment in agriculture and agribusiness,” Adesina said. (NAN)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Agric forum to encourage greater technology use by women

Image
Organizers of a one-day agricultural forum for women in Benin, the Edo State capital, have said the event will focus on increasing the awareness of available agricultural and outreach technologies for women in agriculture. The forum which will be anchored by Market Development Programme in the Niger Delta (MADE) with funding from UK Aid, is collaborating with Markets II, funded by USAID and Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta, PIND and the Edo State Cooperative Farmers’ Agency is being held for womenas part of activities to mark this year’s International Women’s Day. Mr. Fidelis Ekom, MADE’s Communications and Advocacy Manager, in a statement at the weekend said the forum also seeks to facilitate mindset change for women in the adoption of modern technologies and to facilitate engagement between women in agriculture and relevant value chain actors. Ekom said the forum will bring together women farmers in aquaculture, cassava, palm oil, poultry, hon
Read more

7 FEPSAN members to produce 1m tonnes under Presidential Fertiliser Initiative

Image
Seven active blending companies within the Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN) have been revived and are among the 1st of five batches that would produce 1 million tonnes of fertiliser under the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative, Thomas Etuh, President of FEPSAN has said. Etuh who disclosed this while speaking on Presidential Fertiliser Initiative noted that most of the plants owned by FEPSAN members are being revived after being dormant for over a decade. He expressed the hope that more plants would join the initiative before the end of April “Some of the blending plants which have already been supplied with raw materials including phosphate from Morocco and are blending include Fertiliser and Chemicals Ltd, Kaduna, producing 300,000 metric tonnes; Al-Yuma Fertilizer Company (300,000 metric tonnes) in Madobi-Kano; Kano Agricultural Supply Company, supplying 15 trailers daily and Golden Fertiliser based in Lagos. “Others blending plants ha
Read more

Saudi investors identify Kwara as host for proposed Agric City

Image
In a move that will further boost food security in Nigeria and contribute to the diversification agenda of the government, Zain Al-abdin Group, an investment company based in Saudi Arabia, has announced plans to set up a multi-purpose Agric City in Kwara State. Speaking to newsmen at the end of his visit to the Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed in Ilorin, Zain Al-Abdin Nafawi, Chairman of Zain Al-abdin Group said the city or settlement will comprise a cluster of farms specialising in cultivation, processing and export of rice, maize and vegetables. Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, Governor, Kwara State   Governor Ahmed in his welcome speech to the Saudi delegation noted that the multimillion dollar investment is in line with the state government’s plan to broaden the state’s economy, feed the people and provide feed stock for industries. He expressed delight at the decision of the Saudi group to invest in Kwara State. Nafawi who led the delegation including other
Read more