Agripreneurs Archives

ENABLE-TAAT backed startups flourish in Kaoma

On a recent tour of startup activities by ENABLE-TAAT trained youth in Kaoma District, Zambia, IITA Southern Africa Research and Administrative Hub (SARAH) Director, David Chikoye, commended youth agripreneurs for their flourishing enterprises. Chikoye visited the startups to monitor their work and progress. The 2-day visit allowed for in-depth interaction between the Director and the…

The Belgian Ambassador to Uganda commends IITA’s efforts to transform the agriculture sector

Belgian Ambassador commends IITA’s efforts to transform Ugandan agriculture sector

His Excellency Rudi Veestraeten, the Belgian Ambassador to Uganda, visited the IITA-Uganda substation at Sendusu on 30 October. The Ambassador was accompanied by the Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Belgian Development Cooperation, Mr Koen Van Acoleyen. The visit was on the invitation of Rony Swennen, IITA’s senior banana breeder. The Ambassador and his…

The business plan: The compass of the agripreneur

Starting in May 2020, expert trainers from the ENABLE Youth Cameroon (EYC) program had received and analyzed the business plans of aspiring ‘agripreneurs’ participating in the program. They are currently assisting the agripreneurs in finalizing their business plans, which could be financed by a yet-to-be-determined investor. As part of the business analysis phase of the…

IITA builds six cassava processing factories in Liberia

The former President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, entrusted IITA with a project to build six processing factories in Liberia within two months. It was the end of her tenure and the close of the financial year, but Mrs Sirleaf wanted the factories built and commissioned before her retirement, as it was her brainchild. IITA…

IITA supports formation of Tanzania Cassava Producers and processors Association (TACAPPA)

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has collaborated with other stakeholders to develop and launch the Tanzania Cassava Producers and Processors Association (TACCAPA), which brings together cassava producers and processors to address bottlenecks and challenges facing production and utilization of the crop in the country. The Tanzania Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Hon. Omary Mgumba,…

Youth Agripreneurs day out at Fasola Grammar School

The Start Them Early Program (STEP), which operates under the IITA Youth in Agribusiness office, focuses on how to advance agribusiness development to secondary schools in Africa. It aims at redirecting the aspirations of young people in secondary schools towards careers in modern agriculture by exposing them to viable opportunities in agribusiness at an early…

Study group from The Gambia visits ENABLE Youth Cameroon

From 2 to 6 December 2019, IITA Cameroon hosted a delegation from The Gambia on a study trip to ENABLE Youth Cameroon to learn from its experience in youth in agribusiness. The visit also served as an opportunity to lay the foundation for beneficial cooperation between IITA and the Government of The Gambia in view…

Youth Agripreneur insists beans can be preserved naturally without using Sniper

Bose Idowu graduated from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) with a BSc in Animal Science and an MBA in Agribusiness. She joined the IITA Youth Agripreneurs (IYA) program in 2012 as part of the Cereals and Legumes team, where she was trained in cultivation and farm management on farms in northern Nigeria. “We…

Picture of ITA staff present three new varieties (BRS Princesa, BRS Victoria, and BRS Pacovan ken) to Farmer Akekue for evaluation.

IITA success story: Beneficiary sends 4 sons to university; is now a consultant for plantain seedlings in South-South Nigeria

Farmers in the South-South and South-East regions of Nigeria continue to thank IITA for reviving the Onne station.

ENABLE Youth: Ensuring the success of youth in agribusiness

The African Development Bank (AfDB) in collaboration with IITA organized the ENABLE (Empowering Novel Agri-Business-Led Employment) Youth Program Design Workshop on 21-22 April in Abuja, Nigeria. The workshop featured key speakers including IITA Director General Nteranya Sanginga; Mme. Abimbola Adebakin, Tony Elumelu Foundation; Mark Kofi Fynn, African Union Commission, and Ministers/State Ministers of Agriculture/Youth and…