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)

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