Zambian President commends IITA’s youth-in-ag initiative
April 2, 2021
Zambia Agricultural Research Institute (ZARI) recently facilitated an exhibition program with the theme: “Crop diversification and alternative food”. A team of young people under the ENABLE-TAAT compact of the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation participated in the event to showcase the modern cassava value chain technologies. Zambian Head of State, His Excellency, President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, was present to witness a variety of modern technologies for agricultural advancement in the country.
Representatives of the ENABLE-TAAT youth group.
The ENABLE-TAAT compact, implemented by IITA’s Youth-in-Agribusiness office, showcased agricultural commodities and products such as High-Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) with all its nutrient-fortified snacks and foods. Some of these are supplied to chain stores like Shoprite, Pick ‘n’ Pay, and various food outlets in different parts of the country. They also showcased their cassava chips that could be supplied to food and beverage companies like Zhonghai International Ltd, Zambia Breweries, and other processors that use cassava chips as a raw material to manufacture various products like ethanol, glue, and beer.
The IITA team, led by Dr Chikoye, at the exhibition.
At the youth’s exhibition stand, President Lungu applauded IITA for its youth-in-agribusiness initiative, which engages young people in agriculture and channels a career path for many of them to be self-employed or employers of others. He was impressed to see graduate youth producing and showcasing agricultural commodities and contributing their quota to ensure the nation’s agricultural sector thrives. President Lungu commended ENABLE-TAAT for its collaboration with various established youth groups in Zambia. According to him, these partnerships will extend the technologies and impact beyond the walls of IITA.
ENABLE-TAAT team presenting cassava-based products to President Lungu of Zambia.
At the end of the exhibition, the youth presented a hamper of assorted cassava-based products to His Excellency. The President was especially delighted in the cassava bread, which he described as a good initiative. President Lungu’s interest in the cassava bread stimulated some attendees’ interest.
Zambian President receiving a hamper of HQCF-based products.
Their testimonies showed a mindset change and a desire to be included in agribusiness incubation initiatives and the establishment of agribusiness clusters, which are core objectives of ENABLE-TAAT.
Olamide Deborah Nwanze is a Senior Research Associate specializing in gender mainstreaming research to inform participatory and inclusive breeding, variety development, and seed systems policies regarding root, tuber, and banana (RTB) crops in the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture Headquarters, Ibadan, Nigeria. She is a PhD candidate at the University of Ibadan and holds an MSc and B. Agric in Agricultural Extension and Rural Development. Olamide is a fellow of the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development – Gender Responsive Agricultural Systems Policy (AWARD-GRASP) and the Gender Responsive Researchers Equipped for Agricultural Transformation (GREAT). She seeks to apply her gender-mainstreaming learnings, gender-responsive research, and policy development, and review expertise to facilitate women, youth, children, and vulnerable social group’s access to and adoption of agricultural Innovations that guarantee food, nutrition, income, and livelihood security in Africa. Her current roles include mentoring research fellows, development of guides and training manuals, implementation and adaptation of gender frameworks and tools, value chain actors’ engagement as citizen science partners, policy review and redesign, data management, and analysis. Her current research explores mixed methods and participatory and interdisciplinary approaches to capture and highlight gender dynamics, needs, preferences, and challenges stakeholders face within the agricultural livelihood value chain to prioritize gender-inclusive strategies in breeding programs, policy design, and implementation.
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Representatives of the ENABLE-TAAT youth group.
The ENABLE-TAAT compact, implemented by IITA’s Youth-in-Agribusiness office, showcased agricultural commodities and products such as High-Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) with all its nutrient-fortified snacks and foods. Some of these are supplied to chain stores like Shoprite, Pick ‘n’ Pay, and various food outlets in different parts of the country. They also showcased their cassava chips that could be supplied to food and beverage companies like Zhonghai International Ltd, Zambia Breweries, and other processors that use cassava chips as a raw material to manufacture various products like ethanol, glue, and beer.
