By; MATTHEW UKACHUNWA, Lagos
Seven young agripreneurs have received 3.5 million Naira from the partnership between Nestle’s Golden Morn and the Enterprise Development Center of Pan Atlantic University (PAU).
In addition, over 200 young agripreneurs have benefitted from the opportunity provided by the scheme.
Nestle Nigeria PLC disclosed the information in a news release titled “Nestle’s Golden Morn – Building the Next Generation of Agripreneurs” which was issued on 20th July 2022.
The partners expressed satisfaction that their initiative is building a community of young investors in agriculture.
“We are delighted that our partnership with Golden Morn is now in its fourth session. Through this partnership, we are building a community of young agripreneurs who can go on to foster innovative ideas and trends in the agricultural sector to build sustainable food systems now and in the future,” Obianuju Okafor, Project and Finance Manager of the Enterprise Development Center, said.
“Since the commencement of Golden Morn Agripreneurship webinars, over 200 youths have benefitted from the opportunity provided by the brand with seven of them receiving a total of 3.5 million Naira to scale their business,” Bola Audu, Corporate Communications Specialist, Nestle Nigeria PLC disclosed.
The company pointed out that over the years Golden Morn has worked with local farmers who supply the home-grown maize and soya beans used in the production of “the nutritious family cereal.”
It said that with 100 per cent of the grains sourced locally, Golden Morn is not only sustaining Nestle’s local sourcing ambition, but is also impacting the local economy positively by providing a sustainable means of livelihood for the farmers and other players across the value chain.
“Raising the next generation of farmers and ‘agripreneurs’ is critical, not just for ensuring the availability of grains for meeting Golden Morn’s needs, but also for building thriving community and sustained economic advancement,” Audu wrote.
The brand, Golden Morn, in collaboration with The Enterprise Development Center of Pan Atlantic University launched Golden Morn Agripreneurship Series in October 2021.
The purpose of the scheme is to promote youth participation in the agricultural sector through training and provision of grants for the most promising agricultural business proposals by the beneficiaries.
The beneficiaries are exposed to different aspects of the agricultural value chain and are provided with seedlings and mentorship to help them succeed as farmers post-training.
