Adedapo Adesanya
By Adedapo Adesanya
The agriculture sector is set to get a huge boost as stakeholders have noted that they want to partner one of the top agricultural institute, Premier Agribusiness Academy, on capacity building for business sustainability and profitability.
This followed interest expressed by key agriculture stakeholders which include the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Rome Business School among others, at a recently concluded leadership training organized by Premier Agribusiness Academy in Lagos.
Speaking during the executive education course designed for CEOs, COOs, MDs, business owners and Managers, the Director-General of Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG), Mr Manzo Daniel Maigari, noted that the agribusiness sector in Nigeria lacked a comprehensive structure and was not developed enough.
He then said that major decision makers in the sector need to acquire efficient leadership tools like those taught at Premier Agribusiness Academy coupled with organized trainings to enable them make decisions that will develop their businesses and by extension, structure the sector.
The NABG DG lauded the quality of training and facilitators at the training academy said: “I don’t think there is any other academy providing top level management training like this in the sector. Premier Agribusiness Academy has come in handy to fill a gap that no one has been able to identify let alone meet.
“The Academy has created a niche for itself that nobody may be able to compete with both in terms of the quality of training and the trainer, Adm. Toromade Francis, a renowned and one of the best agribusiness experts in Nigeria”.
Another participant at the training, Mrs Veronica Obatolu, Executive Director, Institute of Agricultural Research and Training commended the Agribusiness school and highlighted ways the research institute can collaborate with the academy while expressing her desire to do so.
“There are so many ways our organization can collaborate with Premier Agribusiness Academy especially in the area of agricultural value chain. Our institute deals with so many agricultural crops starting from the beginning which is the soil until it gets to the consumer and I see many ways we can collaborate in terms of livestock, domestic improvement, processing and human capacity development,” she said.
Commenting on the importance of the training, Mrs Obatolu said, “The course ‘Critical thinking and problem solving skill for decision making’, is a good course that has given me a new perception regarding decision making, not just to focus on a particular method but to able to combine both critical and creative thinking in order to be able to make good decisions that will help in the upliftment of the organization that I am leading”
“I think that all leaders of agricultural organizations need to be part of it”.
On his part, Mr Egbebe Godwin, Chairman Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) Lagos State Chapter who was also a participant at the training said: “I am happy that I attended this course because it is needed to bridge the gap between agriculture and business so that we can have a successful practice of agribusiness.
“A lot of people know how to bring the concept of science and business together; they only know agriculture but there are ignorant of the business aspect of it.
“I am particularly delighted to have been a part of this training because it has exposed me to better ways to manage my business and also convince other PAN members to partner with Premier Agribusiness Academy to learn world’s best management practices that will help them develop their businesses and agriculture in Nigeria.
Mr Olufemi Oladunni of Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), during his input revealed that functioning efficiently as a Chief Executive required a lot of creative and critical thinking to solve problems especially in the agriculture and rural development sector of the Nigerian economy.
He then expressed delight to have been a participant of the training and lauded Premier Agribusiness Academy for the initiative adding that, the knowledge he has acquired will help him function better and more efficiently as a Chief Executive Officer.
He expressed his intention to collaborate with the academy by introducing agribusiness components into the agricultural value chain, through the training of young members in experiential learning adding that, this knowledge will help them in delivering their mandate to the institute and country at large.
Mr Humphrey Akanazu, Country Director, Rome Business School noted that the knowledge impacted in Premier Agribusiness Academy trainings are skills that can be applied in any business environment not only agriculture.
“It is key for top management staff of companies and organizations to make quality business and management decisions and Premier Agribusiness Academy delivers top notch leadership and management trainings” he said.
Mr Francis Toromade, the Director-General of the academy, said the Premier Agribusiness Academy is school designed to bridge the gap between agriculture and business management in the Nigerian agricultural sector through quality training on human capital development, business management, marketing and sales of agricultural products, production, logistics, distribution.
He further revealed that another training session will take place on the January 16, 2020 at Lagos Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja, Lagos state.
