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In June 2022, the Opportunities for Youth in Africa (OYA) Programme, organized a 3-day workshop in Accra, Ghana, in collaboration with the National Youth Authority, to discuss current opportunities in agriculture and agribusiness for youth with a view to strengthen entrepreneurial skills in sustainable agriculture production and promote self-dependence.

Representatives from the public sector, the international community, financial institutions and the private sector sensitized participants on agribusiness as a viable, rewarding business venture so as to showcase agriculture as a profession that could generate value and income, hence providing employment opportunities for young graduates and unemployed youth along commodity value-chain.

As such, Mr. Ndiaga Gueye, FAO Country Representative (OiC) to Ghana, Mr Eric Gyenin, UNIDO Programme Officer and Mr. Mathias Blay who represented the National Youth Authority underscored the importance of developing the potentials of the youth in agriculture and agribusiness. As such, the Government of Ghana has mandated several institutions, among which, the National Youth Authority, to roll- out programs such as YOU-START and other Agribusiness programs which lay the ground for this workshop.

Anchored in a public-private partnership approach, this workshop also included presentations from:

  • William Nettey, Head of Agribusiness at ABSA Bank who presented possible sources of financing and packages for startups in the selected value chain businesses. He also underscored the importance of developing bankable business plans, identify agribusiness opportunities that require little initial capital and how to use loans facilities to expand promising ventures. Moreoever, ABSA Ghana has developed a partnership with MasterCard Foundation to identify and support young entrepreneurs including those in agribusinesses.

  • Banda Abdallah Khalifa, Head of Trade in Services and Manufacturers at Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), who explained how to access markets of selected commodities and presented the exportation process. GEPA aims at streamlining and finding market internationally for Ghanaian products, product development, providing export trading information through their market hub. He encouraged the youth in agribusiness to register as exporters to benefit from some packages including participation in international trade fairs for exhibition of products.

  • Frank Opoku Darko, Administrator at Registrar General’s Department who presented the business registration procedures and strongly advised business owners to register their companies so as increase their visibility and investment potentials.

Adopting a youth-to-youth mentorship approach, a team of young, energetic and experienced agripreneurs also presented their individual agribusinesses and took the youth participants through the production, processing and marketing processes that cuts across the value chain of rabbit, mushroom, snail farming, fruits, vegetables and aquaculture.

The 90 beneficiaries were then categorized into commodity groups for mentorship. In each group, the young agripreneurs got to know the participants and prepare them for mentoring, further training and support. Indeed, participants will benefit from intensive training based on the value chains they are interested in, trainings which will be provided by successful young agripreneurs in their various farms.

Check out the gallery for more pictures of the workshop

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