IITA Youth Agriprenuer - Issue No. 1 September 2013

7/29/2019 IITA Youth Agriprenuer - Issue No. 1 September 2013

1/8www.iita.org

up eorts to nd work.The situation is likely to worsen i

nothing is done to halt the trend as thenumbers are set to double by 2045.For Nigerias President Goodluck Jonathan,Youth unemployment in Nigeria is acritical national issue and is one o thebiggest challenges. In Kenya, youthunemployment has reached crisisproportions with an estimated 64% ounemployed persons younger than

25years old. The resigned idleness orural youth is also in evidence in DRCongo, Tanzania, and Zambia where poorincentives exist to better ones lie throughhard work. A ew hours o routinemorning eorts in home ood gardensare ollowed by aimless socializing inlocal canteens. To address this concern,IITA under the leadership o Dr NteranyaSanginga has initiated a youth programas a model to address unemploymentusing agriculture as a tool. The plan is toencourage the youth to tap the manyopportunities inherent in agriculture.

The project exposes young graduatesto the dierent opportunities inagriculture and allows them to identiyentry points in the agricultural valuechains where they could play a role. Atthe core is capacity building or the youngthat propels independent thinking andengenders problem solving.

IITA DG, Dr Sanginga addressing youths in Ibadan

Youths during banana/plantain training

Members o the IITA Youth in Agricultureproject have been trained on bananaand plantain production. The training,

which involved 11 members o the group,was held on 23 January, and cut acrossthe value chain o banana/plantain withthe ollowing themes: Why invest inplantains/banana? Setting up plantain/banana macro-propagation and eldcultivation, pests and diseases aectingthe crop, and how to control them.Plantain (Musa spp.) are the green, starchycousins o the banana. Unlike banana,plantains are not sweet and are eatencooked, rather than raw. Originating inSoutheast Asia, plantains are now grownin subtropical and tropical regions aroundthe world.

The macro propagation o plantains/banana is a relatively easy techniquethat is carried out in a shed. It consistso generating suckers rom cleanplanting material by removing the apical

dominance which will generate about30-40 suckers between 3 months. Thesetechniques are simple and thereore easy

Agripreneurs trained on plantain/banana production

to grasp, and cheap to establish withminimum investment in construction opropagators and weaning acilities.

Among the challenges acing sub-Saharan Arica is the spiralling rate ounemployment among the growingyouth population. Reports rom the Arica

Economic Outlook indicate that 60% othe continents unemployed are agedbetween 15 and 24 and more than hal othese, many o them women, have given

Youth

AgripreneurIssue No 1 September 2013

Youth unemployment...one of the biggest challenges


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Put on your thinking caps

The new Executive Director o the Forumor Agricultural Research or Arica(FARA), Dr Yemi Akinbamijo, has urgedmembers o the IITA Youth project toharness the diversity o skills inherentamong them or agriculturaldevelopment.

He gave this counsel in Ibadan duringhis rst ofcial visit to IITA on 2 August2013. Accompanied by other FARAexecutives: Dr Aggrey Agumya, Technical

Adviser; Dr Ramadjita Tabo, Deputy

Executive Director; and Pro. AdewaleAdekunle, Director o partnerships,the new FARA boss could not hide hisexcitement over the youth project.

He also urged the youth to always puton their thinking caps and judiciouslyutilize the services ICT renders. Pro.Adekunle in his remarks enjoinedthe Agripreneurs to channel much otheir eort towards adding value tocrops cultivated, thus diversiying their

consumption orms. It would be great

IITA youths addressing FARA ofcials

to nd the oods we enjoyed inthe villages, repackaged and available instores and supermarkets, he said.

The Youth made a presentationon: Income Generation and YouthEmployment, and gave an overview othe objectives and current operations othe project.

In his closing remarks, the ExecutiveDirector congratulated the team or agreat job, and reiterated the desire o

FARA to work with them.

12 ha of maizeseeds cultivated

To addressthe

challenge opoor qualityseeds,

memberso the IITAYouth in

Agriculturehave

cultivated12 hectareso improved

maizevarieties. The cultivation o the maize cameater the group got training on maize

cultivation between January and February2013. About 4 ha have been cultivated inIITA-Ibadan and another 8 ha in Ogbomoso.

The training which was acilitated by Dr

Sivestre Kaka Meseka covered all aspects omaize seed production rom the preparation

o land to marketing.

Youth concept excites top USAID officials

The Director, Ofce o AgriculturalResearch and Policy, Bureau or FoodSecurity USAID, Dr Rob Bertram; andthe Senior Agricultural Specialist,Economic Growth and EnvironmentOfce USAID Nigeria, Howard Batson,

paid a 3-day courtesy visit to theinstitute between 1416 July 2013.

The delegation visited the YouthAgripreneurs ofce and listened

to presentations about the groupshistory, achievements, plans, etc. Bothwere impressed with the Agripreneurconcept and commended the IITAManagement or the initiative. Howardwrote in the visitors log: Great

potential waiting to take o, while DrBertram had this to say: Very excitingto see young people engaged inagribusiness development.

IITA youths and USAID ofcialsYouths on their maize farm


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Cassava flour maker wants the Agripreneurs to have big dreams

Thai Farm Nigeria Ltd, makers o cassavafour, has urged the IITA Agripreneursto have a vision about investments inagriculture. The Chie Executive Ocer/Managing Director, Mr Louw Burger, gavethe advice during their learning visit to theactory on 27 August 2013.

On the team also were Malawiancassava processors and the IITACommunication Ocer, Mr. Godwin Atser.

In his presentation, Mr Burgerencouraged the team to have big dreams,stating that the challenges aced whilecarrying out small projects are the same asthose encountered in bigger undertakings.

He gave a talk on how Thai Farm cameinto being, the rms success stories,

as well as its present challenges. Heexplained the processes involved in theconversion o cassava roots to High Quality

Cassava Flour (HQCF), and highlighted theuses o the by-products.

The team raised questions which weresatisactorily answered. At the actory, adetailed tour was taken, with the guestsseeing all the processes involved in themaking o HQCF, right rom root testing(i.e., testing starch content o the cassavaroots) to the packaging o the end-product. Mr Burger also shared some ohis expansion plans with the visitors. Twomembers o the IITA Youth Agripreneurs,Bekee Barituka and Lamidi Funmilola, saidthe visit was educative and inspiring. Theywere grateul or the opportunity to seecassava processing on a large scale andits potential in creating employment andwealth.

Niji Farms encourages Agripreneurs interest in agriculture

A learning visit to the cassava arm, over3000 ha, owned and managed by a youngNigerian, Mr Kola Adeniji, was tiring butalso inspiring.

Mr Adeniji , who sits at the head othe Board o Niji Farms, is one o thosesuccessul young armers in Nigeria.

He told the visitors, We are redeningagriculture many people look down onarmers but we want to change that.

The actory processes cassava into HighQuality Cassava Flour (HQCF), odorlessuu four, and gari. The gari and uuare exported to countries such as theUnited Kingdom and Canada. Apart romhaving a vast hectarage , Niji Farms isully automated, yet built on indigenoustechnology.

We believe that what is needed todevelop Arica is in Arica so we try asmuch as possible to have 100 percentlocal content, Mr Adeniji said.

The visit gave the Agripreneurs the

opportunity to have an overview o Nijiarm, to see how Mr Adeniji managed hisarm, and also the types o machinery heused or the processing o ood products.

Mr Adeniji noted that he was inspiredto invest in agriculture ater comingin contact with I ITA and thanked theInstitute or supporting his arm withimproved cassava planting materials.

Although the arm mostly growscassava, Mr Adeniji has also orayed intogrowing maize and keeping livestock.

I am looking at integrating all theareas o agriculture to making a modelarm, he said.

IITA Agripreneurs who visited thearm testied that the arm is a perectexample, demonstrating that agricultureindeed pays o.

IITA Agripreneurs on a learning visit to Niji Farms

IITA Agripreneurs and Malawian farmers in group photo at Niji Farms

Mr Burger gives a talk on the potential of cassava

Thai Farms... Nigerias biggest cassava our maker


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One year of IITA Youth Agripreneurs

The IITA Youth Agripreneurs are a group oyoung graduates involved in agribusiness,with the aim o being a unit that wouldserve as a model to other young peopleplanning to venture into agribusinessand becoming the trainer o trainers.

Within one year o their existence, theyhave established many hectares o maize,cassava, and soybean and also plantain/banana elds. They have also multipliedplantain suckers in the macropropagationchamber. They have managed to bridgethe gender inequality gap in the team,with their present number standing at 11men and 10 women.

The activities o the group cut acrossthe value-chains o dierent cropsincluding cassava, maize, plantain/banana, and soybean. For cassava,

the Youth Agripreneurs are into stemmultiplication and root production.For maize and soybean, their ocus ison seed multiplication (both certiedand oundation seeds), whereas or theplantain/banana, they are into suckermultiplication and ruit production.

The uniqueness o the team lies in theheterogeneity o the disciplines inherenttherein, ranging across the Arts, Sciencesand Social Sciences. Ater a meeting withthe IFAD President, Dr Kanayo Nwanze,intended to spur youth involvement

towards sustainable agriculture, themembers o the National Youth Service

Corps who were then serving in IITA,Ibadan, under the guidance o theDirector-General, Dr. Nteranya Sanginga,responded with enthusiasm to the call on28 August 2012.

The project began with a series oactivities, such as attending seminarsand training within and outside the

Institute, including a workshop organizedby UNIDO in Songhai. Visits to seedcompanies, most o them in the northernpart o Nigeria, were also made. Theproject has had visitors rom variousorganizations, USAID, UNIDO, FARA, NIPSS,etc., to mention a ew.

The Agripreneurs look orward tocollaborating with sponsors and investors,as one o their uture plans is to expandtheir production. They wish to becomesel-independent and sel-employed,having acquired the necessary knowledge

and skills, and ultimately becomeemployers o labor.

Take opportunities in baking bread with 40 percent cassavaThe Head o the Hotel and Catering Unit oIITA, Mr Samiran Mazumdar, has unveiledthe opportunities in including cassava inbaking, with a call on the IITA Agripreneurs

to take advantage o the technology.In a lecture on 23 August 2013, he

encouraged them to be actively involvedin initiatives that would promote theinclusion o cassava in making bread andconectionary.

He highlighted the benets romincluding cassava as ollows: employmentcreation, ood sel-suciency, and oodsecurity, and called on the Agripreneursto be innovative in terms proering waysthat would disseminate the technology arand wide.

As developed by IITA, the inclusion o40 percent cassava four in baking aims atdiversiying the uses o the root crop. TheNigerian Government estimates oreignexchange savings o over N250 billionannually rom a cut in wheat imports.

Other benets include a better price orcassava and improved livelihoods orcassava armers.

Mr Mazumdar urged the Agripreneurs

to consider marketing the cassava breadin kiosks located at strategic locationsin Nigeria, baking and/or being actively

involved in raising awareness on theeconomic and health benets o includingcassava in ood.

Other resource persons who gave

presentations were IITA biometrician, MrSam Korie, and IITA Postharvest Engineer,Mr Thierno Diallo.

IITA Agripreneurs with Drs Gbassey Tarawali, Baffour Badu-Apraku and Ms Delphine Amah

IITA Agripreneurs in their cassava eld

Mr Mazumdar gives a talk on opportunities in cassava


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Agripreneurs explore opportunities in the seed sectorMembers o the IITA Youth project haveexplored opportunities in the seed sector,making visits to seed companies acrossNigeria. The exploratory visits in 2012were aimed at exposing them to thepotential in the seed sector.

Plans are underway or theseyoung people to join the Nigerian seedcompanies in providing armers with

high quality seeds/planting materials (orIITA commodities such as maize, cowpea,soybean, cassava, yam, and banana/plantain) in the rst instance, says DrGbassey Tarawali, Representative o theDG and DDG (P&CD), who is workingclosely with them.

Seed companies visited were Da-AllGreen Ltd, Premier Seeds NigeriaLtd, Nagari Seeds Nigeria Ltd, SavannahSeeds Ltd, National Agricultural SeedCouncil, Sun Seed and Springeld AgroLtd, Maslaha Seed Co., Terratiga Ltd, Seed

Project Co. Ltd, Maina Seeds Ltd, andManoma Seeds Co.During the visit, the Agripreneurs were

able to understand the challenges acingthe seed sector and came back with planson how to overcome those challenges.

The IITA Youth Agripreneurs projectwas initiated by Dr Nteranya Sanginga,IITA Director General, in 2012. The projectaims to unlock the potential in agricultureby attracting and engaging young men

and women in agribusiness to createdecent employment opportunitiescomparable to those or their colleaguesin the banking, oil, and communicationsectors.

Strategic thinkers to propose IITA youth model to Government

Members o the National Institute oPolicy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS)

in Kuru, near Jos, Nigeria, will presentthe IITA model o engaging the youthin agriculture to Nigerias PresidentGoodluck Jonathan.

The delegation praised IITA or theconcept, emphasizing that the modelwould be part o the recommendationsthat would be submitted to the Presidentas part o strategies to tackle oodsecurity and unemployment, especiallyamong young people.

The youth program oersopportunities and we will recommend toMr President that it should be replicated,

says Mr Jonathan Juma, leader o thedelegation.

The Directing Sta, NIPSS, BrigadierGeneral Johnny Hamakim, noted that IITAwas strategic or Arica, adding that a visit tothe Institute was imperative or the team to

make inormed decisions on ood securityin Arica.

Welcoming the delegation to IITA onbehal o DG Sanginga, the Coordinatoro Cassava Transormation at IITA, DrRichardson Okechukwu thanked theteam or coming and seeking inputs rom

researchers.He explained the vision and mission othe Institute under the revised strategy, andalso highlighted the milestones recordedby IITA towards addressing the constraintso development both in Nigeria andthroughout sub-Saharan Arica.

NIPSS is a policy ormation center orbureaucrats, private sector leaders, andArmy ocers, among others.

This years visit to IITA was acilitatedby Sylvia Oyinlola and Toyin Oke. Thedelegation had the opportunity to tour theIITA campus. Among places visited were:

the Genetic Resources Center, IITA orest,afasae actory, banana/plantain unit, andthe Postharvest Unit. They also had a taste othe 40% cassava bread.

Dr Okechukwu receives a plaque on behalf of DG Sanginga from NIPSS team

Diversity of cowpea seeds

Maize eld of the Agripreneurs


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Ohanwusi,

Onyebuchi

Evelyn, a

graduate

o Quantity

Surveying rom

the prestigious

Obaemi

AwolowoUniversity,

Ile-Ie, Osun

State. I joined this youth program as a corps

member at the acilities management service

unit o the International Institute o Tropical

Agriculture and became an active member on

completion o my service year.

The act that it is a youth entrepreneurial

empowerment program is what I love about

it. I equally love it because it has bridged the

gender inequality gap, it has given women

that voice and opportunity to be better

individuals in the society.

The impact o this project in my lie isbasically in many olds, it has enabled me to

view lie rom an entrepreneurial perspective.

I didnt sit or a day at home trying to look or

a job; instead I was able to stay busy and have

taken agribusiness as another career. I am

equally motivated to give back what I have

learnt.

Olaniyi Ajibola, I

studied Animal

Science rom

the University o

Ibadan, Nigeria.I was posted to

Oyo State or

my National

Youth Service

(NYSC) where

I carried out

my primary assignment in IITA Ibadan at

the Cassava Breeding Unit. Ater my NYSC, I

joined the IITA Youth Agripreneurs project.

The project has brought young graduates

rom dierent disciplines together and

encouraged us to practice agriculture. IITA

Youth Agripreneurs has exposed me to the

practical aspect o crop production throughtraining and seminars. It has also been an

added advantage or my proession as an

animal scientist. I am encouraged to practice

agriculture and to also have my own arm and

livestock production.

Adewale Joshua

Akintayo, a

graduate o

Computer

Science rom

Osun State

College oTechnology Esa-

Oke, Osun State,

Nigeria.

Ater my one year o national youth service

at International House, I was given an oer by

the Manager, but I decided to join this group

because I believe that this program will solve

the high rate o unemployment i I can also

add my own quota.

It has been an exciting platorm o

learning or me with a lot o challenges and

opportunities to become sel-dependent in the

nearest uture.

This project gives me hope that I can

perorm very well i I have my own armalthough I studied Computer Science.

Omole Toluwase,

I studied

Accountancy at

The Polytechnic

Ibadan, Oyo

State. I joined

the group

because I see

it not only as a

positive working

environment but

also as a place

where my skills can be utilized and developed.

The program has had a big impact on my

lie by training me to be sel-employed and to

train others on better agronomy practices.

Jinadu Olaide

Idiat, a graduate

o Economics

rom Tai Solarin

University o

Education. I

came into IITA

August 2012 asa youth corper

(NYSC),.during

this period I had

the opportunity

o working in the International House as

a receptionist. My duties were to make

reservations or incoming guests, attendto

guests complaints, needs, etc.

Ater my NYSC I joined IITA Youth

Agripreneurs which was initiated by the

DG o IITA. Being a graduate o Economics

with no knowledge in agriculture, I think

one o the things missing in agriculture

today is innovation. Todays generation o

armers, teachers ,and agricultural scientists

have collectively ailed to trigger youths

interest and participation in agriculture and

agribusiness. It is up to us (the youth) to be

more innovative and take up the challenge.

With my involvement in agribusiness I can be

able to set up my own arm business and be

proud to call mysel a armer.

Chilaka Chidi Stanley,

a student o University

o Ibadan studying

Economics. I cameabout this project

when the DG called all

serving in NYSC during

the visit o the IFAD President, Dr Kanayo.

What I like about the project is the initiative

behind it, which is eradicating unemployment

amongst the youth. I see the project having an

impact in the aspect o my education, intellect,

and on my lie as a whole.

Nathaniel Michael

Ezechi by name,

a graduate

o Logistics

Management andTransport rom the

Federal University

o Technology,

Owerri. I did my

NYSC with the

Supply Chain Unit

o IITA. During

this period, the Youth in Agriculture program

came into being here in IITA through its DG

(Dr Sanginga) . So ar, I have gained lots o

experience rom the program, and I believe

at the end we would be able to convince the

youth and women that it pays to be involved in

agriculture.

Adewale Oluwatoyin

Adebanke, a

graduate o Ladoke

Akintola University.

I obtained a B. Tech

in Agronomy. My

passion and interest

or the agripreneur

started the day the

DG (Dr Sanginga)

held a meeting

with us ater thevisit o the IFAD President (Dr Kanayo), where

he challenged the youth to be proactive

in agriculture. I became motivated and

determined.

Since I joined the project, I have had

more knowledge and experience about

practical work. I have come to see agriculture

in dierent dimensions: Communication,

production, marketing, training, etc.

The world we create tomorrow comes

rom the values, the hard work, and the

commitment we bring to todays eort.

Thereore it has been a privilege to learn

and to be able to train others. Ater leaving

the agripreneurs, I would like to set up an

agricultural business.

Mustapha Quadri, I

attended Ahmadu

Bello University,

Zaria, Kaduna State

and studied Botany.

Ater my service

year in the Yam

Breeding Unit,

Dr Lopez Montes

oered me aconsultancy but I have always wanted to be

an employer o labor rom my school days. I

gured that I could achieve this by being a

member o the IITA Youth Agripreneurs. So

I resigned rom Yam Breeding to join the group.

Those behind the project


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The impacts o the group on my lie are

numerous. Being with the group gave me

experience in agriculture in totality, the

opportunity to have dialogs with renowned

scientists in the Institute, a chance to speak

directly with the Deputy DG and the DG

without a third party.

Kolo KashiJulianah, agraduate o

Biochemistryrom theUniversity oIlorin, KwaraState. I wasposted to OyoState or myNYSC and hadmy primaryassignment in IITA Water Treatmentplant, ater which I joined the IITA YouthAgripreneurs, an initiative o the DGo IITA (Dr Sanginga). The project has

motivated me to be disciplined, learnmore about agricultural activities, seeagriculture rom a dierent perspective,be a Trainer o Trainers, set up my ownarm business, and be a role model toother young people in Arica.

Atu ObinnaAndrew, Igraduatedrom EbonyiState Universitywith a degreein Crop

Productionand LandscapeManagement

Technology. Icame into theproject as a corps member while servingin IITA Research Farm ofce.

I like the project because it is aplatorm or learning and training. Withthe trainings I have acquired, I think I amvery equipped in practical terms. Theproject has had an impact on my lie inso many ways and with the knowledge

I have acquired, I will be a role model toothers in my generation.

IdowuAbosede, agraduate othe FederalUniversity oAgricultureAbeokuta(FUNAAB). Istudied AnimalBreeding andGenetics. The

program wasinitiated by Dr. Sanginga or memberso the NYSC who served in IITA. That washow I became an automatic member othe group.

The project has exposed me to

practical knowledge o crops such asplantain, maize, cassava, and soybean.I have also learned how to managepeople and resources through exposureto the market value and importanceo the crops. Presently, I am practicallyequipped to establish my own eld andsupervise, and manage resources.

The program has been enlighteningand has had a great impact. It has

reduced the rate o unemploymentamong resh graduates in Arica.

BenjaminAdetola, agraduate oBiochemistryrom YabaCollege oTechnology,Lagos. I joinedIITA ater servingin the Bioscience

Unit o theInstitute (viathe NYSC program). On completion o myservice year and amidst several job oers, Iopted to become a armer.

Dr Sanginga, the DG, addressed allthe serving members o the NYSC inIITA with a view to proering a solutionto the challenges aced by the youth ingeneral. The concept involves adoptingmodern techniques and exploring variousopportunities in the agricultural valuechain as a means o creating jobs, makingmoney, and ultimately becoming sel-

dependent. This is unique because itmade it possible or people with dierentorientations and disciplines o study to beinvolved in agriculture.

The act that agriculture is vital orthe sustainable growth o an economy,coupled with the inectious driveand passion o the DG in tackling theproblems o unemployment awakensthe entrepreneurial orce in me and thusmade me resolve to help to achieve thegoals and objectives o the program (IITAYouth Agripreneurs) as conceptualized by

the DG as well as establishing mysel as anagricultural entrepreneur.

Barituka Bekee,a graduate oEconomics romthe University oPort-Harcourt. Ispent my NYSCyear with theCassava Value-Chain unit o IITA,during which the Youth in AgricultureProgram took o. I believe the project will

equip me with the knowledge and skillsrequired to exploit the vast opportunitiesthat exist in modern agriculture ordeveloping economies like that o Nigeria.Being a part o the IITA Youth Agripreneurs

has been a great experience thus ar,and I hope the success o this projectwill inspire more youth involvement inagriculture within and outside the shoreso this nation.

Lamidi Saraat

Funmilola, a

graduate o

Computer

Science romthe Osun State

Polytechnic, Iree.

Ater I

nished my

compulsory

one year

service in the

Communication and Publishing unit o IITA,

I joined the IITA Youth Agriprenuers which

was ounded by the DG Dr Sanginga. Being

a Computer Science graduate and nding

mysel in the Agricultural eld give me the

privilege o having more knowledge aboutagriculture. The trainings I have undergone

equiped me to be a trainer to others

interested in agriculture and also to be a role

model to them.

Ogunsanmi

Roseline Modupe,

I studied Crop,

Soil and Pest

Management

at the Federal

University o

Technology in

Ondo State. Iwas posted to

Oyo state or my

National Youth

Service Corps (NYSC) where I carried out my

primary assignment in IITA Ibadan at the

Research Farm unit as a Field Supervisor. Ater

my NYSC I joined IITAYouth agripreneur; a

new initiative by the Director General o IITA

(Dr. Nteranya Sanginga). The project has really

impacted me with knowledge through the

practical trainings and seminars. It will enable

me to establish my own arm business and to

be a role model to other youths in Arica.

Ezemenaka John

Bosco, I studied

Agriculture and

obtained a

Bachelors

degree in Soil

Science and

Land

Management

rom the Federal

University o

Agriculture,

Abeokuta. I came into the Agripreneursthrough a Youth in Agribusiness Initiative by

IITAs DG (Dr Sanginga). Personally, I eel

passionately about this project in that it has

armatively generated in me the desire to

promote the interest o the youth in


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undertaking agriculture as a sel-employment

business, it has also broadened my scope

about agriculture and signicantly motivated

my interest in agriculture as a business.

Ogidan

Oluwaseun

Oladunni.

I studied

Agricultural

Economics

and ExtensionServices at the

University o Ado

Ekiti, Ekiti State.

Ater my

NYSC I joined

the Agripreneurs project set up by the DG, Dr

Sanginga, or youth empowerment, so thatI can get some needed advantage to carryon in lie.

I particularly like the practical aspecto this program as it has aorded me theopportunity to balance the theory I learnt

rom the classroom withactual happenings on the eld. Thanksto the trainings I have undergone, I amnow equipped with knowledge to helpme practice agriculture. The Agripreneursproject has really had a positive impact onmy lie and I can now boldly say that I canbe sel-dependent. I can train others andat the same time serve as a role model.

Obaemi,Ajibola Victoria,a graduate oAgricultural

Economics andExtension romLadoke AkintolaUniversity oTechnology,Ogbomoso, OyoState. I cameinto IITA as acorps member in the Cassava BreedingUnit. Ater my NYSC, I joined IITA YouthAgripreneurs, a new initiative by the DG(Dr Sanginga). The project has motivatedme and enabled me to practice my area o

study through its practical aspects.I see the youth program bringing newthings in my lie, thereby making me arole model or others in Nigeria, makingme understand that there is a mechanizedway o practicing agriculture involvingless drudgery.

Akinyele BankoleOdunayo,a graduateo Statisticsrom FederalPolytechnic Ado

Ekiti, Ekiti State.I am rom Ekiti

State and I was born on 5 April.I came into the program as a member

o the NYSC and it all started on 21August 2012, when Dr Kanayo Nwanze,the IFAD President came to IITA or alecture entitled Rejuvenation: InvestingIn Agriculture or the Future o Nigeriaand its Young People. At the lecture, hechallenged all the youth to be involvedin agriculture. One week later, (on 28

August) Dr Sanginga, the DG, called allNYSC members in IITA and ormed agroup which is today called IITA YouthAgripreneurs. I was appointed theCoordinator o the program.

I like a lot o things about the programand have also gained a lot rom it. Ihave learned how to be sel-employed,business oriented, and a good leader. Theprogram has also positively changed myorientation about agricultural practicesand how to make money.

Bello,OluwatobiRilwan, agraduateo PlantPhysiologyand CropProductionrom theFederalUniversity oAgriculture,Abeokuta. I did my National Youth Serviceat the Virology and Molecular Diagnostics

Laboratory. Ater my NYSC, I was given a3-month consultancy job. On completion

The IITA Agripreneur Bulletin is produced by the IITA Youths with support rom the Communication Oce. For more inormation, please email: Godwin Atser([email protected])

o the 3 months, I decided to join the IITAYouth Agripreneurs.

The youth project has been an avenueor positive changes where I can actuallypractice what I learnt in school andully utilize my potential. I have been todierent seminars, training (on-eld) andconerences which have really helpedme in improving mysel. The project hastrained me to be a trainer.

GbadamosiMuritalaAdesola,agraduate oHistory romthe amousAhmadu BelloUniversity,Zaria-Nigeria.The programis a youth

enterpreneurial empowerment program

and it has reduced unemployment toan extent. I equally love it because it hasbridged the gender inequality gap byencouraging the emale youths to go intoagriculture.

The impact o this project in my lie isbasically in many olds, it has enabled meto view lie rom a dierent perspective. Istayed at home without a job or almost2 years but today I stay busy and thusI have taken agribusiness as anothercareer. I have equally been motivated toencourage other youths in this same eldand I can train other youths on modern

arming techniques.

Agripreneurs get mentoring on agric journalismTo improve the communication o

agricultural news, IITA Agripreneurs havebeen mentored on communication tools.

IITA Communication Ocer or West andCentral Arica, Mr Godwin Atser exposedthe team to the various opportunities in the

communication industry.He advised the young people to develop

their writing and oral communication skills,stressing that it would help them in creatingawareness about their activities.

Mr. Atser, who himsel is a social scientist,said that communication was the key toagricultural transormation. He also talked

about a vista o opportunities in social mediawhich is a new driver o innovation transer.

Agripreneurs taking instructions

IITA Youth Agriprenuer - Issue No. 1 September 2013

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Transcript of IITA Youth Agriprenuer - Issue No. 1 September 2013