The Africa Projects Development Centre Group (APDC) launched Cohort 4 of the IFAD AgriHub Project and Cohort III of the SYMUF Project on March 26th, 2024 with an opening ceremony. These programmes are designed to equip young Africans with agribusiness skills, empowering them to tackle unemployment and build sustainable livelihoods. 

Over 60% of the sixty participants are women, who will embark on a 10-week training program. Trainees and industry experts gathered for the event, which included welcome remarks, program overviews, and an inspiring success story. 

Dr. Chiji Ojukwu, APDC's Managing Director, highlighted in his welcome remarks the importance of peer-to-peer learning within the programs. He emphasized the value of passion for agriculture over pure financial gain, reassuring the participants of continued support after graduation. Dr. Ojukwu reiterated APDC's core mission – empowering young people through agriculture – and expressed the Center's unwavering commitment to this cause. He concluded by congratulating the participants, highlighting how their dedication would fuel their success in the agribusiness world. 

Following Dr. Ojukwu's address, Mr. Maaruf Yakub, APDC's Director of Programs, Policy and Partnerships, provided a comprehensive program review for the trainees. The ceremony featured a success story from a previous IFAD program beneficiary, Mrs. Katherine Odoh. Odoh, now a thriving poultry farm owner and mentor to aspiring agripreneurs, shared her journey from a beginner farmer to a flourishing agripreneur. Finally, Mr. Ademu Eteh, the Agripreneur Incubation and Training Lead at the Center, presented a detailed training plan for both projects. 

The event concluded with closing remarks from Ms. IFEOMA UMEANIA, APDC's Head of Administration. Ms. UMEANIA expressed gratitude for the collaborative effort that made the ceremony successful and reaffirmed APDC's belief in the trainees' potential to drive positive change in their communities. 

#APDC #EmpoweringYouth #Agripreneurship #Africa
#AgribusinessTraining #FoodSecurity #YouthEmpowerment