iProduce Africa to Strengthen SMEs’ Export Potentials

James Emejo in Abuja

An agribusiness hub, iProduce Africa, said it is committed to boosting the operations and export capabilities of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and agri-entrepreneurs in the country.

The facility is sponsored by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB).

Chief Executive, iProduce Africa, Aisha Waziri-Umar, said the intervention became particularly necessary as the entrepreneurs seek to take advantage of the government’s zero-oil plan.

Nigeria’s zero-oil plan is a blueprint for a strategic non-oil export-led economic diversification agenda.

Under the scheme,

iProduce Africa, backed by the IsDB, will train Nigerian owned agribusinesses and SMEs, especially young agri-entrepreneurs on the requisite technical skills to equip them on how to export their produce thereby integrating them into global food value chains.

iProduce will also enhance the capacity of SMEs and agri-entrepreneurs on how to access finance, including non-interest funding for their export activities.

Umar said, “We are forming partnerships with the relevant government ministries and agencies and I’m confident that iProduce will play a vital role in the diversification of the Nigerian economy.”

According to her, agribusiness exports present significant opportunity for job creation to absorb the youth bulge and improve the livelihoods of young people who make up the majority of the population.

Specifically, she pointed out that as part of ongoing effort to make agribusiness export simpler and boost awareness on available opportunities in the various global food value chains, the hub would on November 20, 2021 hold a training workshop for SMEs on the theme: “Accessing Non-Interest Finance For Agribusiness Exports”.

Experts will be engaged by iProduce to train and advise the entrepreneurs on how to take advantage of the country’s non-interest banking windows to secure financing for the export of high quality agricultural commodities.

She added that since August, 2021, when it was formally launched by the Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Adeniyi Adebayo, iProduce Africa has trained about 500 farmers on various areas of agribusiness including livestock, fruits and vegetables, garments, among others.