8/13/2019 IITA Agripreneur Newsletter

1/4www.iita.org

to ensure proper research delivery.Prior to the lecture, there was a

drama presentation by the UNIOSUNEjigbo students. Making up the teamfrom IITA were Dr Gbassey Tarawali,Head of the Cassava Value-chain Unit;Mr Godwin Atser, IITA CommunicationsOfficer (West & Central Africa); andMs Victoria Lawal. Also in attendancewere the Pro-Chancellor of Osun StateUniversity, Prof G.A. Olawoyin; the ViceChancellor, Prof A.B. Okesina; othermembers of staff of the university; andother invited guests.

IITA DG Sanginga with IYA and members of staff of UNIOSUN after the inaugural lecture

Governor Ajimobi (second from left) with his entourage and IITA management team during a visit to the ofce of IYA

The Governor of Oyo State, SenatorAbiola Ajimobi has pledged hisadministrations willingness to workwith IITA towards addressing youthunemployment and food insecurity.

The Governor has also made a

commitment to support the constructionof a youth training center in IITA. Thiscame at the request of the DirectorGeneral, Dr Nteranya Sanginga,during the Governors visit to IITA on20 November 2013 in which he also

commissioned new facilities at theheadquarters of IITA in Ibadan and alsovisited the office of the IYA.

Governor Ajimobi cited striking figuresthat highlighted the need and benefitsof an agribusiness center as a means of

training the youth in Oyo State.I congratulate and also commend

the IITA Youth Agripreneurs and themanagement of IITA for paying attentionto the high rate unemployment in OyoState.

Oyo State to partner with IITA on youth developmentGovernor Ajimobi also cited how his

own administrations work complementsthat of IITA.

Earlier, members of the IYA madepresentations describing the natureof their project. The group explainedthat they aim to unlock the potential

of agriculture thereby attracting andengaging young men and womenin agribusiness to create decentemployment opportunities comparableto those in other sectors.

After the presentation, the Governorwas accompanied to the seed processingcenter by the youth where he saw theseed processing machine in operationand had a view of produce from the fieldscultivated by the IYA.

The Director General of the InternationalInstitute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)Dr Nteranya Sanginga has underscoredthe need for youth engagement inagribusiness. This was part of hispresentation at the 2013 Annual Lectureat the College of Agriculture, Osun StateUniversity (UNIOSUN).

Making reference to the IITA YouthAgripreneurs (IYA), Dr Sanginga said the

group was proof of the latent potentialin the youth being exploited foragricultural benefits.

Dr Sangingas topic: The Needof a Brown Revolution in Africa andEngagement of the Youth in Science-driven Agribusiness drew insights intothe factors constraining agriculture andproffered a road map to the presentchallenge.

What the continent (Africa) needsis not a Green Revolution perse but aBrown Revolution, he added, stressingthat land intensification, rather thanextensification holds the key to Africasagricultural prosperity in the 21stCentury. He explained that to close thecurrent yield gap, there needed to beintegrated soil fertility management

which aims at optimizing fertilizer andorganic resource-use efficiency and cropproductivity.

Dr Sanginga further said that researchshould be used as a tool to tackle povertyand other socioeconomic problems.Research is not an end in itself; ratherit should be embarked upon for thesake of development, he said. The IITADirector General also highlighted thevast disconnect between the gains fromresearch and the realities on farmersfields. He said this has brought to thespotlight the need for strategic alliances

Dr Sanginga calls for youth engagement in agribusiness

Issue No 3 January 2014

Youth Agripreneurs

Agriculture is the future

Variety: ACR.91.SUWAN1 SRYYellow (Streak Resistant) N250 per kg:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::Variety: TZL Comp.4 DTWWhite (Drought Tolerant) N250 per kgIf you are interested, please contact JohnboscoEzemenaka at iita-agripreneur@cgiar.org

Maize for sale

8/13/2019 IITA Agripreneur Newsletter

2/4

Issue no. 3 page 2

IITA Hub Directors may replicate IYA model

2013 Open Day: Agripreneurs woo youngsters to agriculture

Central Africa Hub Director, Bernard Vanlauwe (standing 7th from left) with members of staff and IYA

There are strong indications that IITARegional Directors may replicate theIITA Youth Agripreneur model as partof efforts to engage young people inagriculture and create employment atthe hub level.

The desire to replicate a similarprogram came during separate visits by

Members of the IITA Youth Agripreneursparticipated in the 2013 Open Day,exhibiting products from their farmsand also distributing literature to visitorsabout their activities. The event whichwas held on 16 November providedan opportunity for the agripreneurs totalk to people about the importanceof agriculture as a profession. Theagripreneurs shed light on theiractivities and clarified questions raisedby visitors.

The Open Day which attractedfriends and families of staff commencedwith a tree planting activity followedby exhibitions in which each unitshowcased their products at theConference Center.

DG Sanginga (right) and other visitors make inquiry from IYA booth on Open Day

Eastern Africa Hub Director, Victor Manyong (standing 8th from right) with

members of staff and IYA

Southern Africa Hub Director, David Chikoye (standing10th from right) with

members of staff and IYA

the directors to the IYA office in Ibadanduring the Institutes R4D week that tookplace from the 24 to 29 November 2013.

Hub Directors Dr Bernard Vanlauweof the Central African Hub, Dr DavidChikoye of the Southern Hub, and DrVictor Manyong of the Eastern Hubaccompanied by members of staff from

their respective regions were impressedwith the program.

Dr Marie Yomeni, SARD-SC CassavaCommodity Specialist based in DR Congosaid the IITA Bukavu station is alreadybringing together a group of youngpeople for a similar mission, and wouldlove the IYA to provide backstopping.

8/13/2019 IITA Agripreneur Newsletter

3/4

Issue no. 3 page 3

IYA at Canadian High Commission-organized roundtable

Members of the IYA participated in aroundtable discussion organized by theCanadian High Commission in Nigeria on25 November 2013.

Eight young female entrepreneurs

were present for the roundtablediscussion which was focused on youngfemale entrepreneurship. IYA memberObafemi Victoria gave an overviewof IYAs operations and talked aboutthe challenges young women face in

getting involved in agribusiness. Theroundtable presented the opportunityfor other participants to also share theirexperiences.

Prior to attending the roundtable,

members of the IYA received Mr MarcelloDi Franco, the Canadian Deputy HighCommissioner and Dr Paulyn Appah,Senior Process Development Consultant inIITA Ibadan.

After presentations by the IYA, Mr Di

Franco commended the youngsters fortheir efforts.

Keep up the good work and surroundyourself with people with a lot of ideas,he said.

Present at the roundtable were MsSylvia Koleva and Trade Commissioner,Ms Sarah Branco; Director GeneralAfrica Bureau, Ms Patricia Malikail; HighCommissioner Perry J. Calderwood; andSenior Advisor in Africa, Sean Sunderland.

IYA and other participants with Canadian High Commission staff during the roundtable

As part of efforts to get more youngpeople engaged in agriculture,members of IYA went for an outreachin Ibarapa Local Government Areaand gave a seminar presentation

to the youth in the communityon the benefits inherent inagriculture. The visit to Ibarapa LocalGovernment which is located in

Oyo State, southwest Nigeria washeld on 30 October 2013. The outreach culminated in apartnership agreement, in principle,between the Local Government andthe IYA that will see the training of

youths in that community on best-bet agricultural practices.Sixteen representatives fromthe Ibarapa Local Governmentattended the meeting.

The Chairman of the LocalGovernment, Honorable LanreOlaosegba commended thequality of presentation and laudedthe young agripreneurs for theirlevel of knowledge. He notedthat despite the fact that most ofthem do not have an agriculturalbackground they were able totake up agriculture as a form ofbusiness and a means of income forthemselves.

The Ibarapa Local Governmentagreed to pay a visit to the IYA tostrengthen the partnership.

IYA members give seminar on opportunities in agriculture

IYA with the Chairman of Ibarapa Local Government, Mr Olaosegba

8/13/2019 IITA Agripreneur Newsletter

4/4

Issue no. 3 page 4

Averting a time bomb The IITA ExampleThey are an opportunity if we converttheir energies (the youth) to agriculturaldevelopment but they could be a timebomb if we fail to do so, President ofthe International Fund for AgriculturalDevelopment (IFAD), Dr Kanayo Nwanze.

The above words were expressed bythe IFAD President Dr Nwanze duringhis speech in August 2012 when hevisited the International Institute of

Tropical Agriculture (IITA), IbadanNigeria. Among other things he stressedthe need to increase investments inagricultural research for developmentstating that it would bring abouttransformation and help address therising wave of youth unemploymentand poverty.

The IFAD Presidents word were sodear to the heart of the IITA DirectorGeneral, Dr Nteranya Sanginga that thefollowing month (September 2012) helaunched the IITA Youth AgripreneurProgram with the focus on promoting

agriculture among youth, training themand exposing them to the agriculturalvalue chain.

It was thus with excitement thaton 19 September 2013, the YoungProfessionals in Agricultural Researchfor Development (YPARD) Nigeria teammet to interact with these youths whohave enjoyed being part of the IITAYouth Agripreneur Program as theymarked their one year anniversary andalso tell them about the YPARD network.

IITA Youth Agripreneur Program

The IITA Youth Agripreneur Programkicked off in September 2012 withserving Corp members at the Institute.There are presently 11 men and 12women under this program. Theprogram focuses on hands-on trainingon plantain/banana sucker production,seed multiplication both certified andfoundation, and cassava stem androot production. In the past year, theparticipants have also worked on the

farm, visited other farms, and had theopportunity to be trained by variousexperts in the field of agriculturethrough workshops and on-farmdemonstrations.

A unique feature of this program isthat these youth have graduated fromvarious non-agricultural fields. Forexample, some are graduates of History,

Quantity Survey, and Economics tomention a few. The participants wereprovided with a befitting office, farmequipment, farm overalls and boots,farm land, and a project vehicle.

YPARD MeetingThe YPARD Nigeria Team had a lovelytime with the participants. Themeeting which was facilitated bythe IITA Corporate CommunicationsOfficer for West and Central Africa,Godwin Atser kicked off with a briefintroduction about the IITA Youth

Agripreneur Program by its CoordinatorAkinyele Bankole Odunayo (a youthhimself). After which JacquelineOpara from the YPARD Nigeria Teamgave a presentation on the activitiesof the YPARD Network and how theycan take advantage of the network.Thereafter, the YPARD Nigeria CountryRepresentative, Olawale Ojo gave apresentation on how youth can usesocial media to promote and contribute

to agriculture and food security. Headmonished that these youth use socialmedia to share their experiences andstories during the program stressingthat it would serve as a motivation forother young people to follow suit inconsidering farming and other agricultureendeavors. Group photos and interviewswith the participants followed as a rap up

of the days activities.

Averting a Time BombIITA has indeed started contributing toaverting a time bomb that would occurif youth are not invested in. And it isan example for all quarters to follow inempowering youth to take up variousroles along the agriculture value chain.

We want to appreciate Godwin Atser,who was enthusiastic about these youngpeople and allowed us meet with them.Appreciation also goes to the YPARDGlobal and Africa offices for their support.

I also want to thank Ajilore Oluwabunmi,Opara Jackie, and Jeremiah Majid all ofYPARD Nigeria who made out time tomeet with these youths. Finally, IITA andIITA Youth Agripreneurs who are setting afine example for stakeholders and youthto follow.

This piece is written by Mr OlawaleOjo, Country Representative for YPARD inNigeria...http://ypard.net/2013-october-11/averting-time-bomb-iita-example

Mrs Ajibola and her baby with IITA DG Sanginga on the feld

Writers/Contributors:Bekee Barituka, Lamidi Funmilola, Bello Oluwatobi, Jinadu Olaide, Obafemi Victoria, Olaniyi Ajibola, Gbadamosi Muritala, Atu Obinna,

Ezemenaka John Bosco, Adewale Toyin, Akinyele Bankole.Designer:Godson BrightThe IITA Agripreneur newsletter is a bimonthly bulletin produced by the IITA Youths with support from the Communication Office.

Editors: Godwin Atser (g.atser@cgiar.org) and Yvonne Olatunbosun (y.olatunbosun@cgiar.org)

IYA on their way to the feld

Milestones from the fieldThe IYA cultivated 4 ha of cassava, 4 ha

of maize, 3 ha of soybean, and 2 ha ofplantain, all within IITA campus in 2013.

The group also extended its farmactivities outside IITA campus toOgbomosho where they cultivated 21ha of cassava and 16 ha of maize.

In total, the group cultivated 50 ha.In addition, they multiplied 2000

suckers of plantain/banana using themacropropagation chamber.

The group plans to increase thenumber of hectares in 2014, leveragingon the gains and experience gainedin 2013. Crops to receive attention

will include cassava, maize, soybean,plantain/banana, and other staples.Dr Gbassey Tarawali (middle) with IYA on a soybean feld