IITA recently participated at the 8th Agrofood Fair held in Lagos State, Nigeria. The Agrofood Fair is an annual international trade fair that gathers stakeholders from various countries.
This year, global technology leaders from 18 countries showcased adapted technologies and solutions for the Nigerian and West African markets in agriculture, food and beverages, processing, ingredients, plastics, printing, and packaging.
IITA–CGIAR experts, while speaking at the panel discussions organized by the Netherlands government, showcased the institution’s innovations and technologies that promote agriculture, agribusiness, and a sustainable food system.
Speaking on the topic, “Feeding the cities: Working together on a common sustainable food system within Southwest states”, Debo Akande, CEO of IITA’s Business Incubation Platform, said that it is important for all actors within the Southwest region to develop the right action and approach towards achieving the agriculture agenda. He reported that partnerships between IITA and some states within the region have increased agricultural productivity in the states, adding to their GDPs.
Speaking on IITA’s intervention in promoting youth and gender, I-Youth Project Executive Manager Aline Mugisho said young people had become positive game changers in promoting technology use in agriculture. Various IITA-designed programs and strategies have helped increase youth participation in the sector.
She thus called on all stakeholders in the agricultural space to create an enabling environment for young people and provide them with the capacity to grow into successful entrepreneurs and workers in the agrifood system.
In partnership with the Netherlands government, the Youth in Agribusiness (YAS) Unit of IITA will provide 10,000 youths in Kano, Ogun, and Oyo states and Abuja with skills required to start their businesses or scale their operations through the YAS project. The project will focus on value chains such as horticulture, cassava, maize, yam, soybean, groundnut, and aquaculture.
Contributed by Omolola Dare
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