Strengthening Youth Participation in Agriculture: Akinyele Agro-allied CDS Group organizes Agribusiness Summit.

In a bid to accelerate interest in funding agripreneurs and fostering a supportive environment for agricultural innovation, the Agro-Allied CDS Group in partnership with IITA Youth Agripreneurs has held the Oyo Youth in Agribusiness Summit at International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Moniya, Ibadan

First of its kind ever done be a CDS group.

The event was themed "Agripreneurship: Seizing Opportunities, Overcoming Challenges". 

Cross-section of speakers and participants at the Oyo Youth in Agribusiness Summit

The Keynote Speaker, Mr. Akinwunmi Ajetunmobi addressed the role of the public sector and youth in creating solutions through agribusinesses.

He said challenges including high cost of production; low fertilizer application rate; significant problems with seed availability, quality and pricing and several others impacts the overall outlook of agriculture in Nigeria.

He emphasized the Oyo State government's keen interest in funding agripreneurs and fostering a supportive environment for agricultural innovation.

Adebisi Opeyemi, a participant and the CEO of Pemnia Wellness urged the Oyo State Government to construct an equipped agriculture hub to help agripreneurs reduce logistics costs and enhance production. 

In an interactive panel session, Mr. Oyelekan Oyeniyi, a Business Development officer at IITA and Mr. Timothy Bamise, a  Finance Expert and Agribusiness Officer for FCMB explored ‘Financial and Advisory Support Options for Entrepreneurs'.

 They emphasized the importance of financial planning; seeking counsel from mentors; and having a genuine passion for agriculture when sourcing funding.

This was followed shortly by a session on ‘Creative ‘Youth-led Solutions to Food Insecurity’ with  Mrs Eniola Olanrewaju,the I-Youth Project Manager at IITA. 

After citing several examples of thriving agribusinesses in Nigeria, she implored the audience to identify challenges along the agricultural value chain and create solutions through agribusinesses.

In an interview, the President of the CDS Group, Osalohun Ifedayo, shared the motivation behind the event, which was to create an avenue to connect young agripreneurs with experts; facilitate discussions and build their capacity in Agribusiness.

Officials from NYSC, Mrs Adedeji Abosede representing Akinyele LGI,Mr Ogunro Gbenga and Mrs Etim Candy from CDS Department graced the event and encouraged the attendees to maximize the knowledge gained.

Representing  Inqaba Biotec, Mr Olabode Omotosho brought forward how biotechnology improves processes in agriculture and informed the audience of the several opportunities that could stem from the field. He also implored youth to always think a step ahead.

The Summit rounded up with an electrifying business pitch competition where agripreneurs presented their innovative ideas around Agritech, Agromarketing, Agro-Waste among others.

The winners secured the top three positions with the 2nd runner-up being Ogunade Oluwatosin, the 1st runner-up was Araba Simisola and with Miss Aleke Chidinma emerging as the winner showcasing the incredible potential of youth in transforming the future of agriculture.

Participants at the Pitch Event

The General Secretary of the CDS Group,Oluwatimilehin Bankole gave the vote of thanks and commended all participating stakeholders whose efforts made the event possible.

The Oyo Youth in Agribusiness Summit was a powerful reminder of the immense potential young people have in shaping the future of agriculture. The event left participants motivated to see these innovations flourish, marking a significant step forward in the journey of agripreneurship.