Championing Agripreneurs to Sustain Food Security for Next Generation Farmers

Rebecca Ejifoma details the experiences of two agripreneurs and beneficiaries of the Golden Morn Agripreneurship Webinar Series, Joshua Bitrus and Favour Adeleke, who were among the 16 beneficiaries funded N8 million and the 600 beneficiaries trained and mentored across Nigeria to champion sustainable food business for the next generation of farmers 

“I am delighted to be a recipient of the Golden Morn Agripreneurship Webinar Series grant. The grant will go a long way towards actualising business expansion, not only for myself but also for other recipients,” says Joshua Bitrus of Agrigain Locura Ventures, Kaduna, one of the 600 beneficiaries of the Golden Morn Agripreneurship Webinar Series across the country. 

And because Bitrus is one of the many enthusiastic voices crying in the country for more youths to explore the many agricultural opportunities having been empowered with N500,000 seed funding, he lent his voice. “I call on other young people to take advantage of the opportunities provided by companies such as Nestlé Nigeria.”

Of course, the joy of Favour Adeleke, another beneficiary of the Golden Morn Agripreneurship Webinar Series knows no bounds. She was among the few chosen to partake in the grant. “This initiative from GOLDEN MORN is a launching pad for young entrepreneurs in agriculture by providing the critical knowledge, skills and platform. We need to access the limitless opportunities in entrepreneurship and agriculture. Through the training, we are better equipped to navigate the bottlenecks of business.”

Adeleke, who also got N500,000 seed funding is elated for many reasons. One of which is that she has had amazing value-adding learning, unlearning and relearning experiences. “I am now well prepared to scale up exponentially and achieve great results in my entrepreneurial field,” says the enthusiastic agripreneur.

Undoubtedly, the words of the inspirational writer, Lailah Gifty Akita capture the resolve of the UN Sustainability Development Goal 2 to be achieved by 2030 when she said one of the sustainable approaches to food security is sustainable agricultural practices. Adding to it that “Zero hunger is possible with the growing of much more crops on every land, people of every nation will have plenty food”. 

Agripreneurship Webinar Series

Hence, Golden Morn, one of Nestlé Nigeria’s leading brands, in collaboration with the Enterprise Development Center of the Pan Atlantic University (PAU) was awakened by the reality that the Nigerian population is estimated to reach 400 million by 2050 from its current over 200 million population in 2022. Hence, it created the Agripreneurship Webinar Series to foster sustainable food systems by increasing youth participation in the sector. 

The Webinar Series exposes young agripreneurs to relevant training on different aspects of the agricultural value chain, with a laser focus on grains. For the post training, beneficiaries are supported with seedling and mentorship to enable them to thrive in their businesses. While the fifth series of the programme is scheduled for October 2022,  the webinar is open to all budding or existing agric-based entrepreneurs aged 18 to 35 years. 

Today, the webinar series has had four editions and awarded 16 participants with seed funding of N500,000 each, which totals N8 million. 

Grants

Presenting grants to nine beneficiaries from the third and fourth sessions of the Golden Morn Agripreneurship Webinar series, the MD/CEO of Nestlé Nigeria PLC, Wassim Elhusseini highlighted, “I am excited at yet another opportunity to celebrate the next generation of farmers who will continue to feed our rapidly growing population, the entrepreneurs and innovators of tomorrow. 

“Your passion validates the strategic importance of Golden Morn’s investment to provide support, opportunities and platforms to enable you to create or scale your businesses and improve livelihoods within the agricultural value chain,” says the MD.

Elhusseini encouraged them to utilise the grants to leverage the mentorship and the networks they have formed to make a significant impact by creating jobs for the teeming Nigerian youths. 

Entrepreneurship as Critical Pathway 

For the Project and Finance Manager of the Enterprise Development Center (EDC), Pan Atlantic University, Obianuju Okafor entrepreneurship is a critical pathway to improving the economy and upscaling the agricultural value chain. 

“We are delighted that our continued collaboration with Nestlé GOLDEN MORN on the Agripreneurship Webinar Series continues to provide excellent opportunities for young agripreneurs to be trained on creating and running sustainable business models, to enable them to increase their business productivity, ultimately impacting positively on the economy of the nation,” he emphasised. 

Food Security 

The Agripreneurship Webinar Series programme is designed to provide support for young entrepreneurs already engaged in or set to start-up businesses in the agricultural sector through training, funding, mentoring and networking opportunities. 

This is because according to the Golden Morn, food security is considerably significant. According to Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager, Victoria Uwadoka “Today, the demand for food appears to be outstripping supply as a result of reduced productivity combined with post-harvest waste.” 

She outlined that to reverse this trend, there is a need for innovative solutions to modernise the nation’s farming methods. Her words, “We must look beyond the farmgate and harvest towards food transformation and preservation. This is where entrepreneurs in the agriculture space, also referred to as agripreneurs, come in.”

While conceding that Nigeria is a country with one of the youngest populations with a median age of 18 years and about 70 per cent of the population under 30 according to the National Population Commission, Uwadoka frowned at the fact that the average age of farmers today is 50 years. 

“This is a gap we must fill to ensure we not only feed the present generation, but we secure the future. To achieve this, we must build sustainable food systems by attracting and building active youth participation in the agricultural sector.”

An Iconic Brand

Golden Morn is revered as an iconic brand from the stable of Nestlé, the Good Food, Good Life company. It is committed to unlocking the power of food to enhance the quality of life for everyone today and for generations to come. 

Known as a nutritious and great-tasting cereal made from homegrown Nigerian Maize and Soya Protein, GOLDEN MORN is fortified with vitamins and minerals, aligned to the highest international quality standards. 

With 100 per cent of the grains used to produce GOLDEN MORN cereal sourced locally, there is no gainsaying then that the brand is not only contributing to sustaining Nestle’s local sourcing ambitions but is also positively impacting the local economy by cultivating the next generation of farmers. 

Nestlé Nigeria’s Consistent Delivery 

Nestlé Nigeria is one of the largest food and beverage companies in Africa. For over 59 years, the company has been delighting consumers around Nigeria by consistently delivering high-quality nutritious food.  

With a staff strength of over 2,200 direct employees, three manufacturing sites, seven branch offices and a head office located in Lagos, the company produces and markets several iconic brands including Nestlé Purelife, Golden Morn, Milo, Maggi And Nescafé. 

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The average age of farmers today is 50 years. This is a gap we must fill to ensure we not only feed the present generation, but we secure the future. To achieve this, we must build sustainable food systems by attracting and building active youth participation in the agricultural sector