IITA youth wins in the SUPA youth agribusiness camp 2016

Beckie Nakabugo, youth coordinator of Uganda Youth Agripreneurs, emerged among the top five winners that automatically entered the Consortium for Enhancing University Responsiveness to Agribusiness Development (CURAD) competition that will give the overall winner a prize of US$5000 to grow their business ideas.

This was during the “SUPA Youth in Agribusiness Camp” that was organized by Agri Profocus with IITA among other partners. The camp was organized under the theme, “Unlocking the youth’s potential in agribusiness for sustainable livelihoods”. It was held at Namugongo, Kampala, on 16– 19 May, and was attended by over 70 youths from urban, peri-urban, and rural areas in Uganda and Kenya.

The Camp aimed to inspire the youth to go into agribusiness as a means of employment to foster development in Uganda. Different inspirational speakers and experts were invited to talk to the youth including Mondo Kyateka, the Commissioner for Uganda Youth Livelihoods, among other dignitaries.

The youths were required to participate in the agribusiness challenge where they had to showcase their business plans using the Canvas model that they had been trained in. Five winners were selected and awarded prizes. After selling the online vegetable marketing tool to the panel, Beckie Nakabugo, emerged overall 4th among the 70 youths which automatically makes her eligible to compete for the grand prize.

Meanwhile another youth, Denye Denis, who is also undergoing training with the help of IITA through the Humidtropics program, was also among the top five.

IITA’s role is to work with all stakeholders including the youth to generate knowledge and models that allow the youth to sustainably engage in agribusiness.