In 2023, ABUAD continued to provide incubation and community support programs by offering seed funding and free training to local entrepreneurs, with a particular focus on agriculture and improving access to food.
Over the past eight years (from 2015 to 2023), ABUAD has organized the Annual Agriculture Festival in Ado-Ekiti, known as ABAEX (Afe Babalola Agric Expo). The festival awards the best overall farmer in the state a prize of N2,500,000 (approximately USD $2,000) while best farmers from each of the 16 Local government Areas of Ekiti State will get a sum of N250,000 each. As a key player in Nigeria’s agricultural sector, Babalola has received multiple awards in recognition of his contributions, including positions such as President of the Forestry Association of Nigeria, Africa Man of the Year in Food Security, Patron of the Agbekoya Farmers Association of Nigeria, Patron of the Fadama Association of Nigeria, and a member of AfricaRice, among others.
During the Afe Babalola Agric Expo 2023, ABUAD invested N11.2 million in farmers selected from the 16 Local Government Areas of Ekiti State. This was similar to the 2022 edition, which took place on October 8, 2022, when the overall best farmer was awarded N2,000,000. Notably, in the ABAEX2022 edition, ABUAD expended N34 million, which is over 200% more than the N13.2 million spent in 2021 on the farmers selected from the same 16 Local Government Areas.
This financial assistance includes comprehensive training for farmers on new production technologies and the use of modern tools to enhance agricultural development. ABUAD’s aim is to support sustainable agriculture and agribusiness that not only ensures zero hunger but also contributes to job creation and wealth generation, ultimately working towards reducing poverty in the country.. Click here for more information on Agric expo 2022.
https://www.sunnewsonline.com/farming-key-to-nigerias-greatness-says-afe-babalola
https://guardian.ng/news/afe-babalola-blames-hunger-poverty-on-neglect-of-agriculture/
https://sdg.abuad.edu.ng/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/ABAEX-Report-for-2023.pdf
Similarly, ABUAD has (since 2019 through to 2023) been running the Youth Empowerment in Agri-business & Sustainable Agriculture (YEASA) Scheme, which aims to provide free education and training on agri-business to 1,000 youths from low-income backgrounds in modern agricultural techniques. The program has already graduated 3 cohorts of young, technically smart and well trained agri-entrepreneurs who have received significant financial donations from Babalola, which has enabled them to start their own agricultural ventures. The Youth Empowerment in Agribusiness and Sustainable Agriculture’s Report from 2019 to 2022 is contained below:
YEASA-PROJECT-REPORT-2019-to-2023In like manner, so many youths were empowered in 2023 through the ABUAD/UNESCO chair in Entrepreneurship Education for Sustainable Development. Below is the report for 2023
2023-UNESCO-MONITORING-INSRUMENTS-for-ABUAD-UNESCO-CHAIR-FOR-ENTREPRENEURSHIP-EDUCATIONRelated posts:
Afe Babalola splashes N13.2m on farmers, wants agric bank
https://punchng.com/afe-babalola-splashes-n13-2m-on-farmers-wants-agric-bank/
· IITA and Afe Babalola University sign MoU to help Africa
https://reliefweb.int/report/world/iita-and-afe-babalola-university-sign-mou-help-africa
· UNESCO, Leading Nigerian Private University awards ADG Africa, http://www.unesco.org/new/en/member-states/single-view/news/leading_nigerian_private_university_awards_adg_africa-1/
· Afe Babalola urges FG to assist private universities https://punchng.com/afe-babalola-urges-fg-to-assist-private-universities/
· ABUAD, UNESCO train Ekiti youths on agripreneurship
https://guardian.ng/news/abuad-unesco-train-ekiti-youths-on-agripreneurship/
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