Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition in West Africa

FAO

 

FSN Forum in Africa

 

DISCUSSION No. 11   •   Digest No. 6   •   see the online discussion

Sustaining the Impact of Capacity Development Initiatives for African Youth in Agriculture

discussion open until 17 November 2017

 

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Dear members and colleagues,

Here are the latest comments received for the the discussion on: Sustaining the Impact of Capacity Development Initiatives for African Youth in Agriculture, including the facilitator's feedback.

Until now the discussion attracted 60 contributions sent from 19 countries. You can download the collection of contributions received here or visit the discussion page for all information.

Please share experiences from your country that support youth working in agriculture after they have been trained. To take part, reply directly to this email or post your contribution online after registration. Comments are welcome in English and French.

Thank you all!

Your FSN Forum team

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Chers membres et collègues,

Voici les derniers commentaires récents reçus pour la discussion sur le thème: Favoriser un impact soutenu des initiatives de renforcement des capacités pour la jeunesse africaine dans l'agriculture, y inclus la réaction du facilitateur.

Jusqu'ici ce sujet a attiré 60 contributions qui ont été envoyées de 19 pays. Vous pouvez télécharger les actes de la discussion ici ou visiter la page de la discussion pour toute information.

Vous êtes invités à nous faire part des expériences dans votre pays qui soutiennent les jeunes travaillant dans l’agriculture après leur formation professionnelle. Pour participer, répondez directement à ce courriel ou affichez votre commentaire en ligne après inscription. Vos contributions sont les bienvenues en anglais et en français.

Merci à tous!

Votre équipe du Forum FSN

 

Justin Chisenga, FAO, Italy - facilitator of the discussion

Thanks once more to all of you for contributing to the consultations.

I have noted the responses to my questions, in my last post, by Oladade Adesola (Nigeria), Atsu Sename (Togo), Philip Ifejika (Nigeria), and Musa Usman Musa (Nigeria).

Anna Antwi

I have taken note of: 

·         additional contributions on challenges faced by youth in agriculture;

·         a few more examples (Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Ghana) highlighting how post-capacity development sustainability are being addressed; and 

·         the reminder to participants on this discussion that youth is a heterogeneous group and they cannot all be put in the same basket.  Therefore, distinct categories of youth may require different strategies to address their capacity development needs and post-CD support.

In this post, I focus on contributions on question 3 on post-capacity development support to youth.  

The overall view is that if the major challenges (lack of or inadequate access to finance to setup and develop their agribusinesses, lack of access to land, lack of access to markets, poor prices for agricultural produce, lack of access to appropriate information, etc.) the youth in agriculture face are addressed, it would equally address most post-CD issues and thus contribute to making the young African agripreneurs to succeed in their endeavours. 

In addition to the above, the following are indicated in the contributions as areas (not in any order or priority) on which post-CD support to youth in agriculture should also focus:

·         organizing the youth into groups (i.e. cooperatives, youth networks, etc) to facilitate provision of support to them. This would also make it easier for the youth to access resources; 

·         facilitating knowledge sharing and peer learning among the youth;

·         monitoring the impact of CD programmes by following up on the youth, hearing their stories (feedback) and improving the programmes, based on the feedback;

·         helping the youth to map business opportunities and linking them to the opportunities;

·         organizing competitions for youth in agriculture to motivate them and to ensure visibility of their initiatives and potentially attract other youth to agriculture;

·         providing mentoring services and involve the youth in other CD programmes (i.e. study tours to successful agricultural enterprises/farms) that would enable the them to acquire additional knowledge.

To help themselves, the youth should:

·         be willing to collaborate with each other, share good practices, successful case studies, etc,

·         establish communities of practice/peer learning platforms;

·         initiate public discussions where they could express their concerns and ask for help that they need, including access to land for lease, etc. 

·         lobby policy makers to formulate policies that would facilitate their participation in the agricultural sector and access to resources; 

The following two points also came up very clearly in the contributions, that it may be time to:

·         start training youth that are selected through a competitive process. This, would in a way, ensure that only youth that have a strong interest in agriculture and more likely to stay in the sector, benefit from capacity development programmes; 

·         avoid one off training initiatives as these are not enough to turn youth into farmers or agripreneurs. Develop integrated CD programmes that also include post-CD activities/support.

More contributions, especially on how youth can help themselves, are welcome.

For those of you that are yet to contribute on the question of the enabling environment, as you prepare your contributions, think about the broad enabling conditions that, in your view, would increase the likelihood of success and impact of the capacity development initiatives targeting youth in agriculture.

Regards,

Justin

 

CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED

iconHalimatou Baldeh, Food Safety and Quality Authority of the Gambia, Gambia

1. What are the biggest challenges youth in Africa are facing after going through youth-specific capacity development initiatives in Agriculture?

This particular Forum is very much interesting. After giving out my preamble on Youths and Agriculture from the Gambia Situation i also want to take the opportunity to answer the above questions as applied to the Gambian situation as far as youths and agriculture is concerned.

Recently in the Gambia the Government, through a technical assistance from the European Union have started training youths on various life skills trainings and one of them is on Agriculture. In the Gambia 80% of the population are Farmers and the best way to empower youths is through farming because it is already a traditional way of life. Unfortunately the likely challenges that is going to face the youths after training them on Agriculture is sustainability. If youths are trained and they are not given enough capital, that is modern farming tools, money and access to wide markets their skills will not be able to benefit them and that is one of the biggest challenges facing African Youths engaged in Agriculture.

2. What are the examples of existing post -capacity development sustainability and initiatives for youth in Agriculture in Africa. What work and what does not work? Are there any success stories and good practices that can be shared.

Back to the Gambia, West Africa, there are existing post -capacity development sustainability initiatives for youth in Agriculture. One of them is the training of young Entertreneurs on Good Agricultural and Good Hygienic Practices by the Food Safety and Quality Authority of The Gambia an Initiatives that came up to ensure that youths are empowered. One dividend that this training has yielded is that most of the youths trained are now engaged in small scale entrepreneurship such as Fish Processing, the Selling of fish from the coastal region to the inland where fish is scarce. Most of the youths have also embarked on poultry Farming and most are now engaged on a year round cassave cultivation using available resources to produce abundant cassava.

What does not work in this initiatives right now is now is the possibility to export in the nearest future because these trained youths still need more capacity building and extra resources for them to be able to follow the Food Safety Management System that may eventually accord them the opportunity to be audited independently and certified internationally to meet requirements.

The success stories are that these youths in Agriculture have now committed themselves, using their meagre resources to start doing business.

3. What post capacity development support do the youth need? What can the youth do to support each other in developing their skills and capacity?

The post-capacity development support that youths in Africa doing Agriculture need are capacity building and capital to sustain the initiatives given to them. For example if youths are trained in groundnut production, they need to be trained extensively on Good Agricultural Practices. They also need mechanised Agriculture and in that youths need to be provided with modern machinery to enable them produce more and build wider markets. Most importantly youths need training.

What the youths need to support each other is to form networks. Networking always make things easy and in that they will be able to share ideas easily.

4. What enabling environment is needed to ensure sustainability of youth in Agriculture capacity development initiatives?

The enabling environment that youths need to ensure sustainability of youth in Agriculture capacity development initiatives is empowerment. Youths need to be fully empowered in all aspects.

5. Is there a role in Modern Technologies, including information and Communication Technologies in sustaining capacity development initiatives.

Yes Information and Communication is also the easiest and quickest way for youths to learn and share information on Modern Agricultural Technologies. Youths can share information through e-learning courses.

 

iconAtsu Sename, Enntreprises Territoires et Developpement, Togo

3. What can the youth do to support each other in developing their skills and capacities?

Je pense que la mise en place de mécanismes de discussion et de partage des connaissances en groupe serait d'un véritable atout pour les jeunes de s'entraider. Ces échanges leur permettraient de se partager les difficultés et les leçons.

4. What enabling environment is needed to ensure sustainability of youth in agriculture capacity development initiatives?

J'aborderai la question de l'environnement sur deux angles : premièrement je dirai que les jeunes ont besoin d'une garantie de la part des Etats auprès des banques, des IMF et une garantie quant à l'accès à la terre, et deuxièmement  il faut que les Etats créent des cadres juridiques financiers spécifiques à l'investissement des jeunes dans l'agriculture.

Aujourd'hui les banques et les institutions de micro finance hésitent à financer les jeunes dans l'agriculture parce qu'elles n'ont pas confiance en la capacité de remboursement des jeunes vue les conséquences du changement climatique sur la productivité agricole. Si les Etats se portent garants des crédits de jeunes agripreuneurs auprès des banques, les  jeunes s'investiront aisément parce qu'ils savent que en cas de catastrophe naturelle ou d'inondation ou de ravage de criquets, etc. ils ne seront pas poursuivis par les banques. Aussi, qui parle d'agriculture parle de la terre, or la terre appartient à des collectivités familiales (au Togo). Ce qui fait que un jeune qui veut se lancer dans la production agricole a peur d'investir dans le structurant, car le jour où le propriétaire de sa parcelle décide de la lui retirer il perd tout.

Les entreprises portées par les jeunes dans le domaine agricole devraient bénéficier d'un système d'impôt spécifique qui ne soit pas trop lourd pour eux. Au Togo, les jeunes qui se lancent dans l'entrepeunariat agricole sont souvent confrontés aux difficultés de payement des impôts. Ce qui n'encourage par d'autres jeunes à se lancer dans les mêmes projets.

5. Is there a role for modern technologies, including Information and Communication Technologies, in sustaining capacity development initiatives?

Les jeunes pourront se servir des téléphones mobiles ou des réseaux sociaux tels que whatsapp ou facebook pour lancer des initiatives d'entraide.

 

iconPhilip Ifejika, National Institute for Freshwater Fisheries Research, Nigeria

Dear  Justin,

For clarification on SIWES programme for undergraduate student, our role is limited with the training while lecturers from the school come for monitoring. At the end of the training, students return to their schools. To best of my knowledge, Institute don't provide post SIWES support.

However, on personal relationship with some students we provide mentorship. For instance, in July this year, a student from Bayelsa State contacted me on water quality kits while another female student from Makurdi sought my advise on taking up job to manage a fish farm.

Another case is a male student that I linked to an aquaprieneur to manage a modern fish farm in Anambra State due to our relationship after SIWES. Also, I am aware of some that asked for fingerlings, fish processing, and management practices. 

Philip

 

iconGarba Saleh, Federal College of Education (Tech) Bichi, Nigeria

The enabling environment needed in order to ensure sustainability of youth in agriculture capacity development initiatives especially in Africa are as follows:

1.       Provision of capital for implementing innovations: Youth need enough capital in order to implement the agribusiness. Therefore, African governments, NGOs and international organizations, including FAO, should provide substantial capital either in form of credit or grants to youth in order to ensure sustainability of youth in agriculture.

2.       Access to land for agribusiness: Youth in Africa need land for proper implementation of their business. Example youth that are train for broiler production they need permanent and suitable land where they can settle and continue their production.

3.       Provision for infrastructure: Infrastructure necessary to transport agricultural produce for example, livestock, livestock products, vegetables etc from remote rural communities, where production is concentrated, to urban markets where is lacking. Roads are necessary for easier conveyance of farm produce to market for sustainability. Also storage facilities should be provided especially for perishable products such as milk, vegetables and so on. Furthermore processing centers should be provided in many villages so that agricultural produce can be processed.

4.       Provision for cooperative society:  Provision for cooperative society in many communities and for different types of agribusiness is necessary for making agricultural production easier for accessing loan, grants, markets and so on in order to ensure sustainability of youth in agriculture.

5.       Provision of marketing channels and market information: Youth in agriculture should have access to market information. The market information would have been an important driving force for increased production and sustainability.

6.       Power supply provision is very important for processing and preservation of farm produce especially in Nigerian villages and cities in order to ensure sustainability of youth in agriculture.

 

iconStephen Adejoro Adejoro, Livestock Industry Foundation For Africa, Nigeria

Most capacity development organized for youths in Africa have limited exposures to practical intervention, and field exposures to case studies, or learning routes to acquire on training contacts with practical challenges.

The first huddle to break is for  youths to show keen interest in practicing animal or crop farming as a sustainable livelihood, also at the same time societal perspective and image of a youth engaged in farming need to change, because positive image and perception of the society on any profession is a booster to the professional or entrepreneurial ego to embrace such jobs as ways of living

In most Africa society agriculture is perceived as a second class jobs to white collar jobs which makes most youths to want to prefer them than getting engaged in practical agriculture
How can we create more interest in our youths to embrace agriculture a as a way of life and business? And how will the society change her notion and perception of a youth farmer?

In Africa one of the symbol of societal respect and recognition is in the value that your profession have earned you in the face of the society. This value in our society is determined by the affluence of wealth that such profession may present to the society and the community where the youths are engaged in their vocation

How may CD initiatives help to add value to a youth farmer post his training? Most CD initiatives are theoretically biased, with little exposures to practical aspects of the farming operations and familiarity with on the training risks identification and management. Most trainings are organised by private consultants or NGO, which are only slated for few days quite inadequate to cover the operational procedures of such farming enterprises 

I did made suggestion in my contribution on the topic Youths Feeding the Future (link here), that an holistic CD for youths in agriculture must integrate practical training or mentorship, and this can be achieved through meaningful collaboration with existing integrated agricultural enterprises to accept to mentor our youths on short time attachments for practical exposures while Government or NGO anchoring such CD should place the youths on stipend allowances during the short period of attachments

Some tears back in Nigeria way back in the sixties, the Government of the .west and .Eastern Nigeria established the farm settlement strategic all designed to motivate youths into practical farming with convenience and ego, because the youths are settled in farm communities with decent accommodation and regular availability of farm inputs and social amenities

Such youths were assigned farm land and animal stock of choice and housing facilities to raise them in the farm settlements. This initiative go on with on the farm training and visit by extension officers This program me recorded great success and dignity to participants as their products have access to regular market that ensure their wealth creation that boost their public image.
The positive out one of the initiative was the emergence of the first tier of successful livestock and especially poultry farmers in the south and Eastern parts of Nigeria.

However the major constraint that faced this laudable programme was instability in government and government policy such that the program me was not sustainable in most centres, another critical challenge that plagued the initiative was lack is sustainable marked that lacked value addition that could attract more revenue to the participating youths.

Recent development by some emerging learning routes NOT  tends to blend theory with practice, by moving participants along learning routes to see, hear and participate in agricultural projects and challenges along the routes, a good example of such initiative is PROCASUR learning routes in South East , West and Central Africa. This initiative is highly commendable, and could serve as a .Train Of Trainers TOT for participating NGO, who in turn could group local participants in their regions
Universities in Africa have roles to playing CD interventions for youths in their regions, as such youths could be mobilized to use university research farm for training while students are on holidays
Our NGO Livestock industry Foundation For Africa here in Nigeria, be live that youths can be mentored through exposure to knowledge capitalised field trials and case studies that are held in lien by the NGO.

These resources by lifango www.lifango.org could be electronically accessed  to educate poultry farmers in management of critical challenges to their poultry projects.
Cooperative association by youths after CD interventions to practice livestock mixed portfolio such as Cattle fattening with egg production, or pig fattening with egg production, and even fish fattening with egg production have evolved from lifango as viable portfolio that can quickly  transit youth from poverty to posterity. 

A comprehensive ten chapter book authored by the founder of LIFA Dr Stephen Adejoro has been adopted for publication Lambert publishers of Germany and translated into many languages 
The book is currently been marketed by Lambert and hope to bust accrued royalty to fund further activities of Lifango.

In conclusion Functional CD must be balanced theoretically and practically and must include a follow up to assist participants to have access to one digit loan able fund as well as creating collaboration with integrated agricultural going concerns and universities to practically mentor the youths before they move ahead to practice their choice of agriculture.

Dr Stephen Adejoro is the founder of Livestock Industry Foundation For Africa  and a contract Head of Research to Zartech Limited Nigeria

 

iconKafui Agbe, Young Professionals for Agricultural Development, Ghana

2. What are the examples of existing post-capacity development sustainability initiatives for youth in agriculture in Africa? What works and what does not? Are there any success stories and good practices that can be shared?

There are keys factors that will lead to the sustainability of capacity development initiatives. These include space (office or land) for youth to exhibit the skills and knowledge acquired, finance to implement innovative ideas and business mentoring. A good example is the Kosmos Innovation Centre (KIC) AgriTech Challenge in Ghana where youth were trained in business modules, team building and other relevant soft skills to establish and manage their business in the agricultural technological space. Team formed by youth were tasked to come put with ideas to solve real agricultural problems to compete for two winners’ price of $100,000.00. Each winner is given $50,000.00, an office space to operate from, mentors to guide them and other supports needed for establishment. Winners from the KIC AgriTech Challenge since its inception in 2016 include TrotroTractor Ltd, Ghalani, AgriInnova, and QualiTrace. Trotro Tractor Ltd (www.trotrotractor.com) for instance is a powerful platform created to link farmers to tractor operators thereby solving mechanization problems of farmers. This solution in mechanization is made possible because of a solid system put in place KIC and MEST for post capacity development sustainability. 
There is also the need to create interaction platforms between the trainers, trainees and other relevant stakeholder to support the enterprises established by the youth. Follow ups are key element of success. Follow ups makes youth more responsibility in their businesses. 

What works is a capacity building with all things provided thus a whole package capacity building with funds, networks, space (land), mentorship and right business environment. For instance a business environment that registration of businesses take a long time, interest rates on loans very high, market barriers etc will not lead to post capacity development to be sustained.

 

iconAtsu Sename, Entreprises Territoires et Développement, Togo

Hello

I am answering the facilitator's questions:

What are they lessons, if any, that have you learned from your post-capacity development initiatives that you could further share on this Forum?

The main lessons learned are the following:

·         work on spreading awareness is still necessary to encourage young women to participate in the agricultural business. Indeed, we have noted that Togolese young women do not get involved in agricultural production. They are more involved in marketing.

·         it is important to foster a partnership with a micro finance institution or a bank before beginning the training of the young in order to be able to take into account the demands of these institutions after the training. This partnership will allow the young to avoid the difficulties that they face when they are requesting a credit.

·         the setting up by the State of a fund in support of the agricultural business is needed to boost the activity of young people and reinforce the attractiveness of the agricultural sector.

·         agricultural innovation by the young deserves to be supported by the promotion of an investment fund which operates specifically in favor of the young agricultural entrepreneurs.

What specific support is provided to the youth after they have gone through the CD initiatives that you have highlighted?

After the CD initiatives:

·         we introduce the young people to the commercial banks and micro finance institutions to complete the formalities of securing credit on the basis of a dedicated fund backed by a guarantor.

·         we follow up the young people during the implementation of their business plans during the first three years.

 

 

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