Introduction
Our project is about reducing malnutrition using locally available maize, cassava and soybean. According to the Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN), Nigeria is one of the first 20 countries with the highest burden of malnutrition. It is with this knowledge we have explored locally grown crops with high nutrients, which are readily available and affordable: maize, soybean, and cassava.
We have selected the bio-fortified, afla toxin-free maize, bio-fortified cassava and inoculated soybean. We developed a product combining all three crops which is sure to deliver the body with its daily nutrient requirement and still be very affordable to the people rural areas.
It can be taken as a snack or as cereal; the quantity is not the only drive but also the nutritional benefits to be derived.
Who We Are
We are group of three young people coordinated by Abisola Adedigba (a female graduate of Law from the University of Ibadan and Nigerian Law School) with the aim of making wealth through agriculture.
We are Nigerian University graduates from different educational backgrounds. We comprise two females and a male. Our age range is between 23 and 25. We are located in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, Nigeria and produce in the Idi-Ose area of the city.
We started production in November, 2015 and have been making steady progress with the product development.
Mode of Operation
We reach out to youths and women in the community to grow the crops for us so we have a steady supply of inputs and they have reliable off-takers, thereby sustaining themselves (above poverty line). We operate on a mutually beneficial relationship.
After procurement, we proceed to process the crops to a consumable state and package the final product for sale (at a low price to be certain even the poor can afford it). Our product has gone through series of palatability tests and its acceptance in is wide.
We intend to become officially certified by the necessary bodies and acquire the licenses needed to sell our finished product; acquire the proper machines (line items) needed for the storage and processing of the product; proceed to full scale production and activate more out-growers.
We believe our success lies in the number of individuals and households we would impact.
Where We Are Now and Why We Are Applying for the Grant?
We produce on a small scale for our immediate community. We are not satisfied with the small-scale production we have now and are working towards producing even on a larger scale.
After preparing our raw materials, we always have to go to local millers to grind, this is not cost effective.
Extrusion during production is done manually and that in itself is a hazard which can be avoided by using an automated extruder.
After production, we have been facing constraints as regards sales. This is because we have not been able to get our product registered; product registration for us at this time is beyond our power due to its heavy financial implications.
Why Do We Deserve the Grant?
Reaching at least ten maize farmers (youth and women exclusively), ten soybean farmers, ten cassava farmers and a cassava processor, we would be pulling 31 poor rural youths and women out of poverty (in the long run) and helping them gain stability.
By producing and selling our product, we would have delivered healthy, affordable food to at least 5,000 malnourished households within a year.
By recruiting rural youths to become our focal sales agents at ten per state in Nigeria (FCT inclusive), and they further employ ten other marketing personnel, we would be making at least 3700 youths sustainably employed.
We would be in our own little way reducing unemployment in Nigeria and contributing to the economic development of the rural areas.
If awarded the grant, we shall get the following:
- Acquire 1 roasting machine USD 2,000
- 1 locally fabricated milling machine USD 300
- 5 manual extruders USD 125
- 9 burners and frying pans USD 450
- 4 x 1,000-litres storing tanks USD 300
- 12 protective clothing USD 200
- 3 weighing balance USD 150
- Product registration and other incidentals USD 1,475.
Timeframe
Initial purchase of maize, soybeans and cassava would be from three farmers each; the cassava farmers would be linked to a cassava processor.
The first item to be purchased would be the roasting machine for the Inoculated soybeans. Depending on availability of funds, the miller would be purchased next. Other production equipment would be purchased as funds are made available.
We envisage that in the course of production, at least five youths would be employed and at the point of sale, another ten would be employed as focal sales agents. All this to be done with the rural youths of Idi-Ose area, where we are located.
After proper product analysis, we would proceed with the registration of our products with the necessary agencies.
Conclusion
We are committed to introducing to the youth of today a prospective future through agribusiness; we really enjoy this however the above-mentioned challenges hinder our large-scale production.
We intend to reach out to farmers and create a synergy in our operations, reduce malnutrition by providing this very tasty and nutritious snack.
Also, we are committed to creating employment for youths in Nigeria, hence, playing a key role in the economic development of Nigeria as a nation.
Blogpost and picture submitted by Abisola Adedigba (Nigeria): abisolaadedigba[at]gmail.com
The content, structure and grammar are at the discretion of the author only.
This post is published as proposal #366 of “YAP” – our “Youth Agripreneur Project”.
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nice work abisiola
Cool discovery,Thanks for considering the low class people in the society because biofortification is essential for all. thumbs up
Impressive
What is the palatability of your product, yes it is nutritional but will my taste buds appreciate it? who are your target audience and how do you plan to penetrate the market
Young graduates in agriculture even a lawyer, that’s cool
This initiative is highly impressive and worth emulating by many other African youths. Well done, our lawyer who is expressing her interest in agriculture…
This is to show that agriculture can absorb all fields and it is beyond classroom. Keep it up, you have my vote but it will be good if you make it spread across Africa as well and not limit it to just Nigeria.
It felt good reading this..It’s good to know youths have begun to realize the future of our country lies in our hands and that agriculture will be one of the greatest generators of revenue for our country Nigeria.. Kudos Abisola and teammates.. All the best… Emmanuella O.
Well done Bisola and her team, I find it so encouraging to see a lawyer incorporating her legal skills into Agriculture. All the best my learned colleague. Cheers
Amazing! This is the future of Nigeria.
Wow! I hope you get the grant!
Wow! this is very nice and impressive. more strength to your elbow as you are planning to execute this brilliant idea you have provided.
nice
nice approach, its good we are thinking of how to utilize what’s locally available to us instead of looking forward to import everything.
nice approach of involving women in the supply of raw materials too
Nice work Bisola. Well done
Lovely concept….this should attract the some good funding
Great initiative Abisola…thumbs up!!
Well done Bisola
An amazing idea guys. I hope you get the funding
Nice one Abisola…seems the future of Nigeria is indeed in agriculture.
Its good to see our young ladies striving towards independence and productivity,I strongly advice that this ladies be awarded the grant, I will also volunteer my companys services as support to this very impressive business in its brand marketing.
Young upcoming Agripreneurs! Therein lies the future of self-sustaining and well-located economy. Let’s go there. And this would also reduce waste and hunger & poverty alike at the same time.
Great Idea, Abisola Adedigba.
Impressive. Wish you the very best.
Reblogged this on My Costa Rica Experience 2014 and commented:
Good Job!
Absolutely impressive and entrepreneurial. I can already imagine the possibilities😁.
I think this is some really good in initiative. Well done, Bisola. I wish u d best.
Impressive. Can’t wait to patronize you! Your proposal has the ability to create numerous jobs and further encourage other Nigerians to be entrepreneurs. Keep it up!
Great innovation, Bisola et al ! Very impressive and High motivating !! Wishing you the very best in all your undertakings !!!
This is really good, Bisola. Hope u get your funding.
Very good Bisola. Hope u get the funding!
This is very impressive. I wish you the very best. Now, this is the change we are talking about… Nigerian youths exploring the agricultural sector….
Good work Abisola👍. Proud of you dear.
Job Welll done Abisola. So proud of you
You guys are doing well. Keep it up.
Nice
Great proposal
Interesting idea, all the best!
Good job..
This is very creative..
Good job dear
Wow! This is amazing… This is the pathway towards having a diversified economy… Kudos
This is laudable! Impressed with the fact that it adheres to the local content policy and can see it is made for the high and low; everyone in the society. Its high time we swerved into the Agricultural industry and give life its true worth through Agribusiness.
Weldone our Agripreneurs; Abisola and team.
Am proud of you dear, this is a really great venture.
Well done and all the best
This is an impressive initiative! And indeed I fully agree that of the basic needs of humans, food remains the biggest challenge in Nigeria. With this brilliant initiative , I see a chain of influence in nutritional food production at affordable rates, employment opportunities and healthy living.
Well done Bisola and team.
Best wishes,
Ibukun.
Nice one.. dear Yetty n Team
Value addition is the key to increased food security. Very laudable initiative you have there. Thumbs Up.
My Pikin! Proud of you as always. Way to go!
Very nice
Brilliant!!! Very Brilliant
This is really a nice idea. I am so proud of you.
I’m impressed Ms. Adedigba. The group will do well to also consider the issue of packaging and marketing, considering the affordable foreign products that saturate our market. Great work!
Well done, That’s a great initiative,lovely indeed. Well executed!
Great job!!!
This is a laudable project,that has the potential to in one fell swoop address key developmental issues and take youths back to the land.Kudos.
It is good to see people thinking of ways to solve problems and help people, and this project is quite laudable. As a continent, we have to start looking inwards, use what we have locally to solve our problems, minimize wastage, and encourage consumption of local products. All the best Ms Adedigba and co…
This is a very lovely innitiative, i really see this to be the way forward. kudos!!!
It’s about time we started investing in a diversified economy through passionate youth. Projects like this will go a long way. Well done Abisola and I wish u the best.
Good one D’law
Wow nice work. Keep it up. I posted it in my group IDIFA (i do it for Africa) the members in the group are mostly students and entrepreneurs from Africa you are a great inspiration for them. They promised to read at leave a comment.
Lots of luck in your project.
It looks like a really nice idea. Great work!
Nice
Goodluck dear.
Agribusiness is a viable way of diversifying Nigeria’s economy (which we more than need at this time), and Abisola’s proposal demonstrates important tenets of agribusiness: uniqueness, great selling potential, as well as sustainability for the environment, the business owners and their suppliers.
Very useful and deserving of the grant.
Really impressive and well planned out. It’s really inspiring to know that youths are thinking of the economic future of Nigeria and taking strategic steps in the right direction.
Well done Bisola and the team.
Good job,I wish you get the funding.All the best!
Strategically re-positioning Agriculture!!!..Go Girl
..Well done Abisola and her team.
Strategically Re- positioning Agriculture…Go Girl!!!!!! Well done !!1
Wow.. this is commendable!!!! Good job done so far.Well done
Great work.this what we are talking about.all flakes and snacks by our own
Agriculture is the way to go.go guys.
this is a very impressive idea. All the best with this!
Thinking in the right direction. Nice start up. I wish your team the best.
Wow… This is pretty cool Bisola. I’m proud of you!
This deserves some applause… and the funding too.
Good thinking, great product.
My best wishes….
This is a commendable project as it aims to make people eat more healthy. I only hope many people will find it delicious, that is the key to the success of the project.
Fantastic… A job well researched and done
Well done! Wishing you all the best.