Given its vast and largely untapped economic potential, Nigeria’s cocoa value chain could act as a core pillar of Nigeria’s non-oil exports. (Image source: Cultivate Africa)

As Nigeria’s economy faces rising inflation, agro-investor and managing director of Cultivate Africa, Dr Dominic Joshua, has issued a call to action aimed at leveraging the cocoa value chain to revive the region’s economy 

According to Dr Joshua, Nigeria continues to export raw cocoa beans while forfeiting billions in potential revenue that could be gained from local processing and finished goods export. He envisions a transformation where at least 50% of cocoa production is processed locally, creating thousands of jobs, generating stable forex, and revitalising rural economies.

Given its vast and largely untapped economic potential, Nigeria’s cocoa value chain could act as a core pillar of Nigeria’s non-oil exports. Dr Joshua emphasised that developing agro-industrial clusters and ensuring access to credit for smallholder farmers would make this possible. 

Moreover, youth entrepreneurs have expressed a growing interest in agribusiness. However, access to mentorship, funding, and infrastructure remains limited. To address this, Dr Joshua has advocated for a public-private partnership model, wherein the government provides infrastructure and enabling environments, while private investors focus on innovation, scale, and export competitiveness. 

In a recent thought leadership piece, Dr Joshua outlined the following four policy actions that could unlock this transformation:

• Streamlining export regulations to eliminate bureaucratic inefficiencies.
• Creating agribusiness-specific funds offering low-interest loans.
• Providing technical training across the cocoa value chain.
• Launching awareness campaigns to promote agribusiness among youth.

“Agribusiness is not a fallback. It is Nigeria’s future,” Dr Joshua stated. “If the nation invests in what it grows and processes what it produces, it can transform cocoa from a forgotten commodity into a currency of sustainable prosperity.”

Evfarmer enables individuals worldwide to participate in large-scale agricultural projects, earning stable returns while supporting global food production. (Image source: Evfarmer)

Global leader in innovative agricultural finance, Evfarmer marked a significant milestone by officially entering into the Sierra Leonean market with the aim of supporting agricultural development and economic transformation in emerging markets

The company’s presence is expected to inject new vitality into Sierra Leone’s agricultural economy and support the transformation of local agricultural enterprises. With agriculture being the cornerstone of Sierra Leone's economy, Evfarmer’s market entry is a direct response to the government's call for greater private sector participation in accelerating these efforts.

As part of its strategic expansion, Evfarmer will leverage its advanced fintech platform to connect local agricultural producers with a global community of agricultural supporters and investors. This initiative will provide Sierra Leonean farmers with much-needed financial support, cutting-edge technology, and sustainable farming solutions, helping to strengthen the country’s agricultural sector and drive broader economic growth.

Through its digital platform, Evfarmer enables individuals worldwide to participate in large-scale agricultural projects, earning stable returns while supporting global food production. This unique model allows agricultural supporters to invest in farm projects across multiple countries via the Internet. With Sierra Leone now part of its network, Evfarmer is fostering a mutually beneficial, resilient, and fast-growing ecosystem.

“We are honored to bring our innovative financial solutions to Sierra Leone at such a critical time,” said Jessica Smith, manager at Evfarmer. “Our goal is to empower local farmers by providing early-stage financing that overcomes traditional banking barriers, enhancing productivity, and unlocking new economic opportunities.”

FAO along with Zimbabwe is committing to transform agrifood systems in the region. (Image source: FAO)

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), through its collaboration with Zimbabwe, is playing a key role in supporting the region's agricultural transformation

By extending its support to Zimbabwe’s 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS), FAO is committing to transform agrifood systems through the following five pathways:

- Enhancing livelihoods and food security

- Developing and rehabilitating irrigation

- Supporting livestock and disease control

- Reducing post-harvest losses

- Ensuring nutrition-sensitive agriculture

Specifically, this includes bolstering seed policy and regulations, promoting climate-smart technologies and farming systems, and facilitating access to markets through improved infrastructure and trade promotion. These comprehensive commitments address everything from food safety and nutrition to sustainable consumption and climate-smart agriculture. 

The Zimbabwe Agriculture Food Systems Transformation Strategy represents a comprehensive blueprint for agricultural renewal. It targets multiple objectives, including food security, import substitution, value addition, and job creation – with a particular focus on empowering youth. 

"Our role extends beyond simple assistance," deputy FAO representative in Zimbabwe, Louis Muhigirwa explained. "We are working with the government of Zimbabwe to equip farmers, extension officers, and agribusinesses with modern farming techniques and digital tools that can revolutionise agricultural productivity."

Experts emphasised that combating AMR requires a coordinated effort. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Speaking at a recent high-level meeting organised by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) during this year’s Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF), government and private sector representatives highlighted the multifaceted nature of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), describing it as not just a medical issue, but a broader societal, economic, agricultural, and environmental threat

The importance of partnerships emerged as a central theme. Experts emphasised that combating AMR requires a coordinated effort involving government institutions, academia, communities, private sector entities, healthcare professionals, and international organisations, with FAO being recognised particularly for being instrumental in supporting agricultural practices that minimise antimicrobial resistance.

The importance of partnerships emerged as a central theme. Experts emphasised that combating AMR requires a coordinated effort involving government institutions, academia, communities, private sector entities, healthcare professionals, and international organisations, with FAO being recognised particularly for being instrumental in supporting agricultural practices that minimise antimicrobial resistance.

Private sector involvement was highlighted as crucial. Dr Munyaradzi Dzvene explained that public-private partnerships could fund critical research and development, potentially creating new molecules to combat resistant microbes. "Private sector can fund research and development, coming up with new chemicals that can actually combat this problem of antimicrobial resistance," the speaker noted.

The meeting highlighted Zimbabwe's commitment to a 'One Health' approach, recognising that human, animal, and environmental health are interconnected. This holistic perspective requires coordination between, veterinary services, environmental agencies, agriculture and health ministries. Challenges were candidly discussed, including limited funding, inadequate infrastructure, and the spread of misinformation through social media. Moreover, public and private healthcare professionals were urged to collaborate more closely to manage patient treatments more effectively using good prescribing practices.