Fort-five young entrepreneurs from nine African countries have benefitted from a training conference to enhance their proficiency in accelerating the growth and development of the continent.
Participants were drawn from Ghana, Nigeria, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Guinea, Kenya, Cameroon, Gambia and Benin.
The four-day conference, which was under the auspices of “I Have A Vision (iHAV) Foundation”, a non-governmental organisation based in Ghana, was geared towards empowering the youth to address the issue of sustainability in agriculture.
Dubbed, “iHAV Project Conference 2014”, participants were also mentored on the intricacies of enhancing productivity of Africa’s agricultural systems through researches and innovations, in a manner that would trigger an agribusiness revolution across the continent.
As part of the programme, participants received training in areas such as Economics, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and governance.
Essence of programme
The Founder and Executive Director of iHAV Foundation, Ms Christabel Ofori, said the programme sought to bring the younger generation together to brainstorm on issues that would quicken the economic growth of the continent.
Speaking on the theme, “Creating an Agribusiness revolution with Africa’s youth”, she explained that the participants, whose ages ranged between 18 and 28, had been empowered through the conference to venture into agriculture and its related subjects.
Citing poor agricultural practices, low farm yields, cultivation of meagre farm produce, and the rise in importations as the major factors impeding agricultural production around the continent, Ms Ofori stated that the initiative was to sensitise and educate the youth to help address the challenges.
The Chairman of Golden Future Promotions, Mr Charles Sam, who is also a facilitator, explained that the challenges facing the continent could only be addressed through social entrepreneurship.
He urged the participants to contribute their quota towards the development of agriculture on the continent.
Source: Graphic Business
