By Sodeinde Temidayo David
The Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), an organisation that seeks to transform African agriculture from a subsistence model to strong businesses that improve the livelihoods of the continent’s farming households, has unveiled a new platform called Agribusiness Dealroom to facilitate sharing of ideas, initiatives and investment opportunities between the private and the public sector.
The platform was officially launched at the Agribusiness Dealroom summit 2021 in Abuja on Tuesday and is set to take practical actions and share lessons that will move African agriculture forward.
This new initiative was established by the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) and is a workshop that will assemble governments, private sector players and other stakeholders to share ideas, initiatives and investments for the transformation of Africa’s food systems.
The need came against the backdrop of the UN Food Systems Summit (UN FSS) in New York where world leaders convene to review the progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), notably the eradication of hunger and poverty.
Speaking at the launch, the Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Mr Adeniyi Adebayo, stated that the platform provides opportunities for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to participate in the forum that would enhance the growth of their businesses.
Also speaking on the AGRF Summit meeting 2021 to be held in Nairobi, Kenya from September 6-10, 2021, with the theme Pathways to Recovery and Resilient Food Systems is very pertinent for Africa, he said Nigeria was willing to participate fully especially in the Agribusiness Dealroom.
He added that the country would participate in the upcoming event by presenting opportunities in palm oil and cassava among other value chains, also expressing that Nigeria is very open for business.
Also, on his part, the Country Director of Heifer International Nigeria, Mr Rufus Idris, said events such as the AGRF Summit and its Agribusiness Dealroom are important for bridging the gaps in Africa’s food systems.
“We need SMEs to come up with ideas that will make agriculture more productive and more competitive. The government can help by developing policies and infrastructure that make the cost of production competitive,” he said.
Furthermore, a Senior Manager at Sahel Consulting, Mr Agbara Chinedu, during a seminar to introduce entrepreneurs and the Nigerian government to the investment opportunities available at the AGRF summit said small businesses need to understand and target their pitch to the kind of investor they want to attract.
“As an SME, you need to understand and target your pitch to the kind of investor you want. Next is for you to prepare a pitch deck that should be straightforward and simple, and must include the problem being addressed, its solution, size of the market, your team and track record,” he said.
