Farmers
Apprentice Africa
Farmers
Farmers Apprentice Africa
is a collaborative initiative between professional education consultants and agricultural colleges or departments in Nigerian universities. The program aims to provide students with hands-on experience and practical knowledge in agriculture, entrepreneurship, agribusiness development, agricultural marketing, agricultural technology, mechanization, and food systems.
The program will run on a minimum 500-hectare commercial and demonstrational farm in partnership with other stakeholders. The farm will encompass both crop and livestock production, to address food insecurity, create decent jobs, and empower rural economies in Africa.
Here’s the latest update on this program:
“We Aim to Mentor and Model Our Youth from the Classroom to Business Opportunities in the Agricultural Sector to Create Employment and Ensure Food Security.”
MATE Africa and Partners (MAAP) Announces MultiYear Partnership with the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB) for Farmers Apprentice Program
MATE Africa and Partners is pleased to announce a ten-year partnership with FUNAAB to address critical issues of food insecurity, youth unemployment, aging farmer population, and widespread hunger in Africa.
The program will effectively operate through classroom learning sessions, international exchange programs, and peer-to-peer modeling and mentoring to implement a fully commercial farm producing key staple food crops, particularly cereals, vegetables, and food-secure crops. This partnership between the private sector and academia in a structured environment is expected to achieve milestones.
According to MAAP’s CEO, Emmanuel Ansah-Amprofi, “this initiative is not business as usual, but business with tangible rewards. Students will be paid for their practical learning hours under the ‘Learn2Earn’ model, and valuable research will be funded and compensated… and the program will produce 1000 young farmers every year.”
Key facilitators of this partnership include IBAD Nigeria Limited, owned by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and Prof. Adeboye Fafiolu, Director of the African Centre of Excellence in Agricultural Development and Sustainable Environment (CEADESE).
MATE Africa & Partners comprises successful professionals in the agriculture sector with experiences extending beyond Africa. Our partners include IBAD Nigeria Ltd, headed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo; Ayo Arena Ventures Ltd, headed by Dr. Adeyemo Jamiya; and V & E Resource Enterprises, headed by Dr. Emmanuel Kolade. Our vision of partnering with FUNAAB for the Farmers Apprentice Program fulfills our corporate social responsibility of creating jobs and developing Africa’s economy.
