AFDB TO DEVELOP A BANKABLE BUSINESS PLANS FOR YOUTHS AND WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE 22-07-24
By Sadiq Aminu The Africa Development Bank, AFDB, is to develop a Bankable Business plans For Youths And Women in Agriculture.
The president of the AFDB, Dr. Akinwumi Adeshina stated this in Abuja at the second interactive session organised by the bank with theme: Building capacity of Youths and Women in Agriculture .
Dr. Adeshina represented by the Director General, West Africa Region of the AFDB, Mr Lamin Barrow, said the Summit was to profer solution to the challenge being faced by youths and women in agric business especially as it relates to access to finance.
” We applaud the Federal government of Nigeria through the minister of Agriculture and food Security in spare heading various initiatives and programmes to increase production and productivity in the agribusiness sector as well as combatting food insecurity especially in wake of high inflation in Nigeria ”
The Vice President, Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery of the AFDB, Mrs Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, who decried the massive importation of food into Africa, remarked that with proper planning, the continent has the capacity to feed over nine billion people .
” We are here to re enact the Africa future, and this is a future that is powered by agriculture. A future that will change the perception of agriculture as a low income , low status occupation that only attracts twenty one point five percent of the youths”
In a remark, the minister of Agriculture and food security, Senator Abubakar Kyari says the federal government will soon come up with a National Youth Empowerment programme to unlock the full potential of women and youths in the country.
Senator Abubakar Kyari who commended the AFDB for its continued commitment to the development of agriculture in Nigeria, expressed the Federal government resolve to work with development partners in advancing the course of the growing youth population.
Senator Kyari maintained that efforts are ongoing in line with the renewed hope agenda to engage more youths in green house farming and other agricultural innovations to boost food production in the country.
The minister of Youth development, Jamila Bio Ibrahim maintained that her ministry will soon launch a presidential initiative on Youth investment cluster to enhance agricultural productivity.
For the minister of Budget and National planning, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, there was the need for proper Coordination among stakeholders to ensure massive deployment of public funds to reduce the risk in agriculture.
The summit marked the sixty years of the bank contribution to the development of agriculture in the continent.