The Youth in Agribusiness: Enabling scaling of innovative technologies for sustainable food solutions (YAS) project joined no fewer than 130 organizations and businesses for a three-day exhibition and conference at the recently concluded Nigeria Agro Food Fair in Lagos.
During the exhibition, the YAS team showcased various agricultural products that were produced, processed and packaged by beneficiaries who have participated in their training and have established their businesses.
YAS, since its launch in 2023, has trained over 2,700 persons in the value chain of various agricultural commodities, including cassava, yam, aquaculture, groundnut, soybean, maize and horticultural crops like tomatoes and vegetables.
The YAS team also had engagements with industry stakeholders and guests, who visited the YAS booth for discussions and enquiries. Prominent individuals who visited the YAS booth included IITA Ambassador and former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, and the Netherlands Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Wouter Plomp.
IITA Ambassador and Former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, at the YAS booth during the exhibition
The YAS project team lead, Ms Aline Mugisho, also participated in a panel discussion where she emphasized the importance of public-private partnerships in driving industrialization in the agricultural sector. She also gave a presentation on the impacts and achievements of YAS in the last one year.
Other conference topics included Rethinking the Horticulture Sector; Logistics, Supply Chain Finance, Distribution Models; The Rise of Counterfeit Products: Challenges and Solutions; Food Safety, Traceability and Customer Dialogue; and Cold Chain as a Catalyst and Backbone of Nutrition and Food Security.
Other exhibitors included Horti Nigeria, Prosper Cashew, Natural Dehydrated Vegetables, Norebo, East West Seed, Greenport, Collab Seed, Kinggle Machinery, Tecnopack, Zhangjiagang United Aviation Machinery, Tech-Long Packaging Machinery, German Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action, and Blue Flags Plastic Products.
The Netherlands Ambassador flanked by the YAS team and embassy officials