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 of the creation of a program similar to the ENABLE Youth in The Gambia.

The Gambian delegation comprised 11 persons under the leadership of Mr Momodou S.W. Sowe.  The study trip began with the presentation of the ENABLE Youth model, the vision, and the implementation strategy of the program. The challenges faced by the program were also highlighted, as well as the proposed solutions and the level of achievement of the activities. After a tour of IITA Cameroon station, the Coordination Unit of ENABLE Youth Cameroon then took them on a 4-day guided tour of five Youth Agribusiness Incubation Centers (YABICs)—Bonaberi, Dibombari, Ndoungue, Nkongsamba, and Obala.

Before the field visit, the delegation attended a reception at the Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (AVC-DP). The exchanges with the AVC-DP focused on the Gambian government’s efforts to engage youth in agribusiness to fight unemployment and to replicate the ENABLE Youth model in their country.

During the mission, the aspiring Agripreneurs, who made presentations of the Business Plan of their pilot project, also took the opportunity to interview the Gambians. The visitors were impressed by the quality of the work done. The aspiring Agripreneurs received a lot of encouragement from the visitors for their seriousness and resilience.

The study tour ended with a firm resolve from the Gambian delegation to continue to work with ENABLE Youth Cameroon and IITA in finalizing a program that will engage Gambian youth in agribusiness.