The Centre recently had the honor of hosting Frank Amadou Bio, Project Manager of the Youth in Agriculture Project from the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Sierra Leone, for an insightful four-day visit to our Centre in Abuja. Our discussions focused on enhancing the effectiveness of project management and addressing youth unemployment through co-creating youth-led agricultural enterprises.

Key takeaways from our meetings include the need for professional project design and management training and improving ongoing youth-targeted programs in Sierra Leone. These steps are crucial for strengthening agricultural initiatives in Sierra Leone, a country with a significant focus on rice production.

Strategic suggestions included conducting training in Nigeria for youths in urban farming and inviting APDC staff to visit Sierra Leone for stakeholder engagement and understanding of the local terrain. Additionally, it was agreed that APDC will provide professional training in project design and management for key officials in the agriculture and related ministries.

Mr Bio proposed an APDC visit to Sierra Leone to gain firsthand insights into the local agricultural landscape. The Centre is enthusiastic about this promising partnership and looks forward to fostering sustainable agriculture and youth and women employment in Sierra Leone. Stay tuned for more updates.