Promoting youth participation in beekeeping
I am Ayoade Akande. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and a postgraduate degree in Crop, Soil and Pest Management. I hail from a village in Akiriboto-Oke in Gbongan, Osun State, Nigeria. I am 36 years old.
At age eight, I began farming with my father and developed interest in agriculture. I started rearing rabbits at this age and I grew 3 rabbits to 48.
The need to reduce poverty amidst youths spurred my interest in agriculture. Due to its low risk and high yielding potential, I decided to develop myself in beekeeping. In year 2002, during my undergraduate years, I constructed some hives and started to practice beekeeping. I was able to make amazing income to support myself while in school.
In my desire to give back to my society, I initiated training youths in my community in beekeeping for free. This initiative was later supported by Bees for Development and has recorded amazing success. I am passionate about helping young people to proactively contribute to innovative, environmentally and economically sustainable agricultural development through apiculture.
In 2015, I was able to secure seed grants from Bees Abroad to train youths for free in beekeeping. A total of five (5) youths comprising of three (3) men and two (2) women were trained. Each participant was given a complete bee suit and a hive. I provided technical training for all the participants and constantly offer technical advice after the training.
The development of marketing skills in youths has been one of my main focuses. Most youths believe that selling honey is not an attractive venture. However, this was proved wrong as I was able to show that I have never been able to meet demand. On an annual basis, I produce well over 150 litres of honey and yet unable to meet demand. I intend to expand the current project supported by Bees Abroad to 20 more participants comprising of 12 women and 8 men.
My budget:
Bee suits for 20 participants: $680
80 Hives (4 hives per participant): $2560
Hive tools for 20 participants: $400
Processing tanks and tools for 20 participants: $640
Solar wax extractor for 20 participants: $400
Transportation of hives and participants to field: $320
I will bear the cost of the technical training as my own matching cost to the support. I will be using success recorded from previous trainings as the benchmark for program.
The project will be carried out in one complete season (June – April). Technical support will be offered to participants for two (2) years after completion of the project.
Blogpost and pictures submitted by Ayoade Akande (Nigeria) – haywhyho2000(at)gmail.com
The content, structure and grammar is at the discretion of the author only.
This post is published as proposal #47 of “YAP” – our “Youth Agripreneur Project”.
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The GFAiR Blog 
This is a good initiative. Well done.
What a laudable project! This is what I called living meaningfully – contributing to reducing poverty and hunger in the Sub-sahara Africa. Kudos to you boy.
This is the way to self sustainance
as a nation
Thanks Egbonmi.
I appreciate your comment sir. Best regards.
Fantatastic job done..
Thank you.
Thank you.
Good initiative
Great concept. Go up higher!
Thank you my Bishop.
To train the youth and guve them a cision lf their future can’t be overemphasised. Good luck Ayoade. God bless you. igeria nee more like you.
Mr Uwe thanks for the comment. It is good to start small most especially when there is no body to support financially.
This sounds great
It’s sound so great MA. Thanks.
This is what we need. I am really impressed.
Thanks my Oga.
Promising initiative that will certainly have significant impacts… you are destined to make a difference!
Thank you sir.
Nice job you have here
Thanks sir. I appreciate your comment.
Good development I wish you well!
Thanks my Oga.
Very interesting venture. I witnessed the training of some participants few years ago. Kudos. Wish you success as you contribute to our country.
Mr Joshua thanks so much. I am still spreading the gospel.
This is a good initiative brother, keep it up.
Great initiative Mr Ayoade. We need someone like you in this change period of our country. Good luck sir.
Really great, congratulations
Thank you sir.
Thank you.
Nice job.
Good to know this. Keep it up, the sky is your starting point.
Nice work Ayoade Akande and what a fantastic project by YAP! Though I thought “agropreneur” would sound cool and fanciful than “agripreneur”: my two cents advice.
Prof thanks for the observation.
I like your proposal. Kudos. Best of luck.
Thanks sir. I appreciate your comment.
Keep it going Ayo, am proud of you. There’s no food for a lazy man.
Thank you Dr sanusi.
weldon bro,good job u are doing,how can i participate pls?i’m frm kano.
This is great. Pls, keep it up.
Your special interest in bee farming has always been incomparable. You have always been passionate about it. We laugh and joke about it but you never wandered. That is why most of your discussions in the peers gathering are around bees and their economic and medicinal values. I am happy you are moving forward with this intrinsic idea. Shout it out to the world and make indelible contributions in this regard. I am proud of you. I wish you success.
Thank you Mr lukman. I will never repent from practising beekeeping untill the this world becomes save both for this generation and the generation to come. If you read the quote from Albert Einstein he said “If the bees disappears from the surface of the globe man would have no more than four years to live” let’s keep telling the world and we will have a save and secured environment.
Thanks.
Akande Ayoade is capable of delivering this project successfully. All the best!
Thank you for the compliment.
Good initiative from someone with capability of delivering this project successfully
Good initiative that can bring real sustainable development…
Excellent job! Keep it up .
Good job!
Awesome,this is nothing but eye opener to us all,this is to tell us that we can do well without relying on the white colar job thar I regarded as advance modern slavery.kudo to you.
Nice one
Come on AY, you can do this. I have huge faith in you,all the best…
this is a really good initiative….I really like how he did a thorough plan…abeg hopefully he wins.
Thanks.
This is so amazing that someone can champion this course at this time where all graduate youths are looking for white collar job. Akande keep it up.
Good initiative…
Very good stuff Mr Akande
Good idea, this is what we needs in westerns world to cure obesity because of too much intake sugar,
Well done boy.
This is nice Sir. I know you have a passion for this, its your dream. I believe you can achieve greater things with this. Go Able.
I have always known Ayoade Akande to be a very brilliant person with undeniable interest in farming. I made my first income when I was barely 10 year old through his mentorship. He gave me free white rabbits(male/female) as startup
I have known Akande Ayoade for over twenty years and his passion for agriculture, including rearing of animals, is amazing. I can still remember his rabbits rearing in our secondary school days. There is no doubt he can deliver the project successfully. Good luck brother, we are proud of you.
Great job sir. The sky is the limit. Up beekeeping. Up Nigeria
Thanks sir.
Most of the so called “honey” being sold/peddled around in Nigerian streets today is basically processed industrial Sugar. It is heartwarming to see someone actually putting in some effort to go into the production of real natural honey, which could be a panacea for many of the health related problems we are beginning to experience in this country, and which did not exist about a decade ago, such as the increase in type 2 Diabetes.
It could also become a mode of employment for many of the jobless youth thronging our streets today whoo have no job to do. Kudos to you, bro.
Thank you sir. That is absolute truth about what is going on in the country. I believe the that positive thinker like you will help us disseminate information about the risk involved in neglecting organic products for synthetic ones.
Thanks.
I never knew bees were less harmful. This is a good project. Keep it up.
I like to be like you.
Interesting…
This is an excellent initiative…..It will go a long way in empowering the teeming youth and subsequently alleviate poverty in our society.
great initiative. proud of your work Ayoade. we shall support in anyway we can
kudos to you for the good initiative. the sky is your starting point
Good step in right direction. keep it on.
Great job you doing there….keep it up.
Good job. God bless you for having the interest of the youths at heart.Keep it up.
I am glad I came across this post. It’s a privilege to our country to still have people who are thinking right. My prayers are with you and every other person who has not given up on this country. I wish you success.
Great
It sounds good. Lesson for the guys out there jobless looking for the white collar job and find nothing to do.
Wow! This is a great opportunity…. Don’t let this elude u. Thanx immensely
You re on the move in solving the high level of unemployment in our country. Keep it up, I know you ‘ve been doing that but more is required. Ride on
AYO is creative and also teaches others to follow suit, good job boy, keep it going, you shall get there by Gods grace.
This is a great initiative and I would love to partner with you… I wish you get the grants to make it worthwhile.
It’s a good initiative bro! I hope in some years to come it would have grown beyond what you can imagine… Keep it going… You “ve got are back…
Great idea. This is what we need at this time.
This is a good one!! Keep it up. Your passion will definitely help you surmount all obstacles. Thumbs up bro
An excellent business. Very encouraging. A rear business. Keep it up.
Thank you sir for the support.
A well deserving profession. A rear gem. Soar higher.
Great job!
Stellar initiative. This could take several unemployed youths off the streets
I believe you, this has been long awaited for. An indigenous Agricultural innovation.
Beekeeping is quite promising in Nigeria especially the Western part of the country, I equally encourage beekeeping and to own some soon. i have also been challenged greatly by Mr Atoloye.
Well done Mr. Akande. I’m really proud of your initiative.
This sounds great. Wishing you the very best.
Great one there.looking inward is the key now.Our nation Nigeria needs great people like you.may help come to you at the right time
this is awesome
goodwork. approach it with a business eye. equip your trainee how to make a descen living from apiculture. ride on we’re supporting you
excellent proposal.
keep moving onwards
you are a trend setter.
i trust Mr Akande Ayoade, to execute his plans with this proposal meticulously.
Cheers.
Nice work! You can do it!
Thank you Sir.
bro,this is a brilliant performance by you just keep it up.looking towards good development from all over the world to get into this your initiatives and promote you. well
done bro
Thank you sir.
Good initiative. Wish u the best in this endeavour.
Nice initiative needed at this point in time! The youths have to wake up to the potentials embedded in agriculture generally. ..
If only the government would rise up and support such step in the right direction. ….
Your capability to handle this project to successful completion is not in doubt. I wish you the very best. Regards.
Good and the most expensive initiative so far…..wow!!!…..we need more of you for The Better Nigeria we all are hoping for….God is taking you somewhere greater and higher,…more grease to your elbow….egbon mi to gbayi……
Ayo Akande is a man of honor, he is capable of bringing out the best from this project. Little seed you planted during our undergraduate days is growing bigger day by day, I am proud of you brother and friend. GO FOR GOLD!!! ALL THE BEST!!!
Awesome initiative….. I am so sure you can and will deliver. You have always had this mind of impacting lives and also being a blessing….. Move on, the sky is your starting point.
You are born to make a difference, you are born to lead, feed the nation, put smile on the jobless youths, I believe in you, I believe in this project.
I’m confident you are more than capable.
You have shown a great interest and your commitment is commendable.
I’m proud of you.
Thanks bro. I leave for what I believe in. Let enjoy today and preserve tomorrow.
Thanks fash.
What a laudable project! This is what I called “living meaningfully” – contributing to reducing poverty and hunger in the Sub-Shara Africa. Kudos to you boy.
Egbonmi I appreciate your comment. This is one of the directions we should focus on in this country. Bee cut across every good aspect of human race. Call it economy, health, quality food, good environment, continuity of human existence. Thanks sir.
great idea from a great source.We need People like this in this country.
Ride On my brother….
Agriculture is an important segment of any nation’s economy and beekeeping is very lucrative. This is because of the numerous ways people use honey, especially medicinally. Good job Ayoade Akande
I remember during our undergraduate days how you strongly advice to sting us with a bee, and see how our health will improve. You were so passionate. Remember we even followed you to same of your hives at campus gate and farm road. I knew you will grow this big.
I remember during our undergraduate days how you strongly advice to sting us with a bee, and see how our health will improve. You were so passionate. Remember we even followed you to some of your hives at campus gate and farm road. I knew you will grow this big.
Wish u well egbon.All d best
God, I specially appreciate you for this great initiative deposited in the life of Akande Ayoade. he’s the best man on this great field honestly; Ablebody God’s in control move on joor.
Akande Ayoade is a passionate entrepreneur who fosters youth empowerment programmes
Nice concept Ayoade
Put more effort,God will reward u abundantly.
Akande Ayoade is a born farmer, he has been on this bee business since I know him in 2009, when we were together after our service year in Ile I fe.
I sincerely salute your courage and commitment. My thumbs up
Great work. Thumbs up.
Awesome!
Wonderful! We’re proud of you sir, because good thing comes out from Nasareth. Kudos
Thank you Sir.
Great job Boss. May God be with you and grant you success.
Well done AY. May God grant you success in all your endeavour.
Nice one, so good to see Man get close to nature, Good job Ayoade.
Able as popularly called, is a man driven by passion. He is hardworking, industrious diligent and a creative thinker. I believe with this project he ll be a positive change agent to the nation. Will you mind if I be one of your participant because I am really interested in this…
ALL THE BEST Mr Ayoade Akande.
Mr Wala thank you. I have pen you down as soon as the project start I will inform you. Let’s be busy like bees.
This is a wonderful concept. I wish you best of luck. keep moving
Baba T thanks sir.
I have known Ayoade Akande when he was 10years of age. I was privileged to mentor him in Agriculture when I was at Obafemi Awolowo University studying Agriculture in the 1990s. He was in the secondary school then. During those period as he rightly mentioned in his profile he love rearing rabbits, guinea pig and other micro-livestock then. His interest in Agriculture is borne out of passion and not from mere profession. It is very rare seeing young African man taking Agriculture as his lifetime profession. Despite the fact that he has a postgraduate degree in Agriculture his interest and love for beekeeping is unmatched. Permit me to say that Ayoade is the type of Candidate that need this seed grant to upsurge our nations Agriculture from her present perils and woes. Thanks.
Thank you sir. Nobody could have given my profile just like this except you. I thank you for your mentorship. I am proud of you.
Wonderful and passionate zeal, I am moved and enlightened
Great Job AY!
Another initiative by our youth to boost the economy. Pls keep it up
This is a good initiative..
Good job…!!!!
This is awesome
Good initiative by our youth to improve d Nigerian economy. Keep it up
A good project. The Best is yet to come.
Well done!
This is really commendable! How I wish government and private sectors can support you in this project. Any way, thank you for embarking on this project, most especially for our youths. May the Lord crown your efforts so far. Kindly keep up the good work!
This is really commendable! How I wish government or private sector can support this project. Any way, thank you for embarking on this project most especially for the youths of our generation. Kindly Keep up the good work!
Guy sky is your limit.
A commendable and encouraging concept, you will break new ground bro, amen.
If our government can buy to this, the issue of unemployment will be drastically reduce.
If our government can buy into this, the issue of unemployment will be drastically reduce.
Great initiative…I love this
Great work ayo, keep it up
This is wonderful. You have been a man with greet dream. You are going places.
Wonderful and inspiring idea keep it up bro
Good job bros, keep it up!
I love this, creating an opportunity for others. Ride on Ayo.
Surely, the hand of the diligent shall bear the rule. Jorafarm you are doing great and you will go places.
This laudable i must confess. Job opportunity for the unemployed is one out of the numerous advantage of this. Keep it bros.
This is making something good out of what we have in Nigeria – FROM crude oil to CRUDE HONEY. Keep it up Able
This is making something good out of what we have in Nigeria – FROM crude oil to CRUDE HONEY. Keep it up, More Grace
Nigeria is blessed to have someone like you who can come up with great ideas, very good one, more grace- Keep it up
My sister thaks so much. We really need to look into that sector now and explore it fully for the betterment of the nation and the world as a whole.
Great job!
Thank you.
This is an good concept. It will help reduce joblessness among our youths.
Yes. We are only trying to reduce the level of dependency on government so that our people can responsibilities in agriculture and also reduce food insecurity in the country.
Laudable project! more youths need to get involved in initiatives like this
Viable venture, keep it up.
All glory be to God. If we start the campaign now more people will join us along the line which will make food available to all us and also make our environment to be save.
Nice concept! It is a reality.
Thank you very much
wao! well done sir. you are indeed a plus to our generation.
Mr Timothy thank you.
This is a good initiative, in fact our youth should learn from this instead of looking for white collar job around.kudos to you.l know you will make.
Sistermi thank you MA.
This is an area that needs to be developed. Very good proposal. All the best
Mr Israel thanks so much. I believe our government will do something fast to look into this sector of agriculture and develop it.
This is a very nice work done kudos.
Joseph thank you.
gud job indeed, d sky is ur limit. keep it up.
God bless you MA.
Great job done…
This is an uncommon project and less popular but your delivery was encouraging and luring too….what more can I say? Ayoade Akande, small things become big when encouraged by friends, family, loved ones and other well wishers around. I say kudos to you and may your dreams never die
This is really commendable. Thank you so much for taking up this project in order to assist our youths. Hope both government and private sectors would finance this project. It is really a nice one. More grease to your elbow. Welldone!
Very passionate young man. You’re indeed a solution provider. More grace and glory in Jesus name.
May God help and see you through as you have positioned yourself to be a blessing to others.