Zambian Head of State commends IITA’s Youth-in-agriculture initiative
Zambia Agricultural Research Institute (ZARI) recently facilitated an exhibition program with the theme: “Crop diversification and alternative food”. A team of young people under the ENABLE-TAAT compact attended the event to showcase the modern cassava value chain technologies. Zambian Head of State, His Excellency, President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, was also […]
Linking youths to rice value chain
ENABLE-TAAT is collaborating with Mvomero District Council in Morogoro region to build capacity of more youth and ensure more youth-led agribusiness enterprises. The role of Mvomero district is to mobilize youth in the wards into groups through the ward agricultural officers while ENABLE-TAAT provides the selected youths with training and[…..]
Sensitizing Nigerian youth on the opportunities in agribusiness
ENABLE-TAAT is conducting sensitization programs at 11 National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) Orientation Camps in Nigeria. Nigeria’s NYSC scheme is a one-year mandatory program for graduates in Nigeria established in 1973 to reconstruct, reconcile, and rebuild the country after the Nigerian Civil War. The purpose of the scheme is primarily[…..]
COVID-19 Pandemic: YEASA-IITA trains over 146 agripreneurs virtually
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic which affected the learning opportunities for youth globally, The IITA Youth Agripreneurs (IYA) trained over 146 youths in the second year of the Youth Employment in Agribusiness and sustainable Agriculture (YEASA) project using an e-learning platform with contents from the on-site training sessions and materials. http://eduapps.startthemearly.org/[…..]
YEASA-IITA supports 103 youths to start their Agribusinesses in Nigeria and Republic of Benin
One of the main objectives of the Youth Employment in Agribusiness and Sustainable Agriculture (YEASA) project by giving grants to agripreneurs in Nigeria and Benin republic is to kickstart, build, sustain and grow their agribusiness enterprises which spread across the regions in Benin republic and Nigeria. The beneficiaries were full[…..]
SARAH Director commends ENABLE-TAAT in Kaoma
From 15-16 December, Dr David Chikoye, IITA’s Southern Africa Research and Administrative Hub (SARAH) Director, visited ENABLE-TAAT trained youths in Kaoma district, Zambia, to monitor the progress of their startups. The 2-day visit allowed for in-depth interaction between the Director and youth-in-agribusiness. Back in 2018, a group of 30 youths[…..]
IITA partners with Mastercard Foundation in Nigeria to implement Young Africa Works
The International Institute of Topical Agriculture (IITA), through its Youth in Agribusiness office, is partnering with the Mastercard Foundation in Nigeria to implement the Young Africa Works strategy. The partnership aims to enable 242,724 young Nigerian women and men to build skills and secure dignified and fulfilling work opportunities in[…..]
Agripreneurs Day out at Fasola Grammar School, Oyo.
The Start Them Early Program is a new initiative at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, (IITA). It operates under the Youth in Agribusiness office with a focus on how to advance agribusiness development to secondary schools in Africa. It is aimed at redirecting the aspirations of young people in[…..]
IYA KALAMBO ENGAGED IN FACILITATING ACCESS TO FINANCE FOR YOUTH AGRIPRENEURS
The IITA Youth Agripreneurs (IYA) team in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in collaboration with the government of the DRC through the Projet Integré de Croissance Agricole dans Les Grands Lacs, (PICAGL) project, on January 29th, organized an innovation and entrepreneurship competition titled “An Evening with Youth in Entrepreneurship[…..]
Mentor Monday- Dr. Nteranya Sanginga
Dr. Nteranya Sanginga is the first African director-general of the world-renowned International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the father of Agripreneurship. He was born in Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of Congo. His passion for young people made him founding father of the Youth in Agribusiness (YIA) programme, which[…..]
YEASA Project Awards Grants to Youths
The Youth Employment in Agribusiness and Sustainable Agriculture (YEASA) Project has awarded grants to the youth they trained in Nigeria and the Republic of Benin for the first year of the project, as part of its mandate. The Project, which was launched in July 2019, is set to empower a[…..]
IYA CELEBRATES INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY
The International Youth Day (IYD) is observed annually on the 12th of August and it is endorsed by the United Nations to draw the attention of governments and other concerned institutions to pressing challenges of youths worldwide. The program was first launched in 2000. Every year since its inception, a[…..]
IITA Youth Agripreneurs wins the 2019 International innovation award for sustainable food and agriculture
The IITA Youth Agripreneurs program has won the 2019 International Innovation Award for sustainable food and Agriculture in recognition of its commitment to improving both agribusiness opportunities and creditworthiness of youth across Africa. The award, the first of its kind, funded by the Government of Switzerland, was presented during the[…..]
Youth engagement in Agribusiness is the future for employment opportunity in Africa-Jennifer Blanke
Jennifer Blanke, the Vice President, Agriculture, Human, and Social Development at the African Development Bank (AfDB) have stated that youth engagement in agribusiness is the future for employment opportunities across Africa. Ms. Blanke stated this on Tuesday, March 26 when she visited the IITA Youth Agripreneurs group at the IITA[…..]
IYA trainee wins 5,000,000Tsh
A trainee of the IITA Youth Agripreneurs, Edmond Ng’walago has emerged as the winner of the 2018 Young Graduate Entrepreneurship award organized by the Royal Netherlands Embassy in collaboration with the National Empowerment Economic Council in Tanzania. Edmond who was selected among 987 young people who applied for the award[…..]
FAO recognizes IYA’s initiative
IITA Youth in Agribusiness program was recognized by the Food and Agriculture Organization as one of the twenty innovations in FAO’s first symposium for family members in Rome between 21st and 23rd November and was requested to display at the fair. The success stories displayed were centred around four key[…..]
The story of a Banker turned Farmer
Rita is an accountant by training but has lots of passion for agriculture. She approached her parents after her studies at the University that she wanted to venture into agriculture but she was discouraged and was advised to search for white collar jobs. Rita was not ready for any limitation[…..]
Cameroon trains YABIC Coordinators for ENABLE Youth Program
As Cameroon implements the ENABLE Youth program in the country, about thirty-two people have been trained to take up the responsibility of Coordinators of Youth Agribusiness Incubation Center (YABIC). The training titled “Boosting Africa’s agriculture to master the future, make it happen” was organized in partnership with the Agricultural Value[…..]
IYA, OFFERCentre partnering to assist young people
IITA Youth Agripreneurs is exploring areas of partnership with the Oluponna Fish Farming and Resource Centre (OFFERCentre) in Iwo Osun State on youth empowerment along the agricultural value chain. To foster the partnership, the Director General of IITA, Dr. Nteranya Sanginga and the team of agripreneurs visited the OFFERCentre on[…..]
Ivorian Youth on study visit to IYA
As part of the preparation for the pilot phase of the ENABLE Youth Program in Cote d’Ivoire, about twenty young people selected for the pilot phase of the project visited IITA for orientation exercise with the IITA Youth Agripreneurs. The youth who were exposed to some of the technologies of[…..]