STEP makes progress promoting agribusiness in secondary schools in Africa
Since its inception in 2019, the IITA Start Them Early Program (STEP) team has been working tirelessly towards advancing agribusiness development in secondary schools in Africa. The aim is to redirect the aspirations of Africans towards careers in modern agriculture by exposing them to viable opportunities in agribusiness at an early age.
Barivure Bekee, STEP ICT Officer in Nigeria, training Fasola Grammar School teachers on the use of computers.
To achieve this, an initial operation program is being carried out in three African countries—Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya, and Nigeria. The two-year project, which is funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), would serve as a kickstart for building the next generation of agribusiness leaders in Africa.
Ten secondary schools were selected in the three countries. In DRC, Institut Weza, EDAP/ISP, and Institut Mushunguri were selected in the South Kivu Province. Mwiki Secondary School, Nairobi County; Afraha High School, Nakuru County; Kisayani Secondary School, Makueni County; and Muongoiya Secondary School, Kiambu County, were selected in Kenya. While Fasola Grammar School, Oluponna High School, and Lead City International School were selected in the Southwestern region of Nigeria.
Training and practical sessions have begun in all the selected schools to promote agricultural activities. In DRC, the STEP team organized a special agribusiness holiday program for the students. This aimed to create clubs that offer young people a favorable environment for learning on agribusiness and arouse their interest in agricultural research and a career path in agriculture.
Prince Bobo, STEP Coordinator in DR Congo, addressing the students during the agribusiness holiday program.
In Nigeria, training has commenced for teachers and students on the use of ICT in agriculture. This will develop and strengthen the teachers’ usage of digital tools and technologies in facilitating learning and creating awareness and give the students the opportunity to develop their ICT entrepreneurship and innovations.
Aside from leveraging the IITA Youth Agripreneurs’ (IYA) expertise and incubation centers close to selected schools, STEP is partnering with the USTADI Foundation under the VijaBiz project on youth empowerment through agribusiness, in Kenya.
Plans are in progress to train 1197 youths in the first six months of 2020, including 593 students in DRC, 210 in Kenya, and 394 in Nigeria. The training would center on the application and enhancement of the STEP model across the 10 selected schools in the three countries.
