ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi
A Moroccan Company, Office Chérifien des Phosphates, (OCP Africa) has partnered with the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi and has begun the training of 30 youth selected in five states from my the north to boost Agriculture under the pilot phase of its Empowering African Youths (EMAY) project in Nigeria.
NATIONAL ACCORD reports that the one week long training by OCP Africa, one of the leading companies in the global production and exportation of phosphate-based fertilizers, is aimed at empowering African youths by facilitating their participation in the business of Agriculture.
The Empowering African Youth (EMAY) project seeks to equip 30 young Nigerians, in the first phase, haven been screened based on criteria ranging from having a certificate in Agriculture, experience with farmer engagement and entrepreneurship drive and drawn from Sokoto, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Niger, and Bauchi States, with capabilities to be self-employed and be future agriculture-entrepreneurs.
The Head Agronomy for OCP Africa Fertilizers Nigeria Ltd., Donald Madukwe, who spoke during the opening ceremony of the training held at the Bauchi State Agriculture Development Programme, on Monday, said the participants will undergo specialized training so thay they can become proficient in technical and commercial skills to enable them function as service providers and independent business owners within the Agriculture ecosystem, thereby eking out a means of livelihood for them.
He said the participants will undergo bespoke capacity training as developed by the faculty of Agriculture of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University ATBU to enable them function as value creators within the Agriculture value chain.
Madukwe added that the Young Leaders will be empowered with agronomy technical know-how and agricultural tools, such as mobile digital soil laboratories for soil testing and analysis, Cargo tricycles to reach rural farming communities as last mile retailers of inputs, Electronic Tablets for data gathering using digital solution, and small handheld implements to enable them deliver value to smallholder farmers in rural communities.
He said: “I want to appreciate ATBU for accepting to do this for us, for accepting to run this race with us, it is our utmost desire to see the youths participate fully in agriculture. It is a thing of importance that we work together to make agriculture the mainstay of this country.
“It is important at this time, especially with the current situation of things in the country, the total ban on importation of finished food products and other items, there is need for us to increase our production.
“There is need for us to embrace precision agriculture and this is one of the ways OCP Africa is responding to this Clarion call.
“The EMAY project, the Agripromoter project, these are projects that are geared towards empowering the youths to support agriculture.
“The EMAY project is designed to train youths in different skill areas in agriculture, to enable them support the rural farmers, to improve their productivity, their yield and their income, thereby, improving their livelihood.”
He said that after the training and handing over of the items, the Young Leaders will be supported with monthly stipends to enable their businesses take root and stabilize.
Dr Madukwe said part of EMAY’s objectives, aside from creating a source of livelihood for the youths in the agricultural sector, is to empower them with the required knowledge needed to be consultants/advisors which will enable them to provide Best Agricultural Practices (BAP), Agronomic and Technical training and support to smallholder farmers in rural communities.
He said the participants will be equipped with sophisticated agro-tools to provide fertilizers and agrochemical recommendations based on soil analysis, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital solutions.
“We understand how hard it is for startups to cope especially when they are yet to get their ground, when they are yet to build their client base, so we are, by this programme, beckoning on the Faculty of Agriculture, to continually follow-up with these candidates even after this training so that they can get good mentorship and be able to plant their feet in this venture.
“On our side, OCP, we will support the young leaders with monthly stipends for the initial periods of this projects so that they will be able to establish and stabilize well enough to sustain the business on their own.
“This will enable the young leaders contribute their own quota to value creation and increase agricultural yield in food production in the country.
“In addition to the 10 digital equipment and the stipends, the young leaders will be given access to farm inputs from across the 100 OCP one stop shops across the country. They’ll be able to make margins from distributing farm inputs to the farmers in the hinterlands and making recommendations for them as well,” he said.
Talking about future plans with the EMAY project, he said that OCP also intends to increase the numbers of the Young Leaders by additional 60 come 2021.
The young leaders will be issued Certificates upon completion of training from ATBU.
The Vice-Chancellor, ATBU, Prof. Muhammad Abdullazeez, who also spoke, commended OCP Africa on the initiative saying that this will help increase the participation of youth in agriculture and food production in the country.
He encouraged them to be focused and attentive during the training session as knowledge gathered will determine the support and quality of value, they deliver to small holder farmers.
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