Malawi benefits from NEPAD-Africa Trust Fund on youth employment and entrepreneurship
Malawi is among the four African countries to benefit from the US$4million NEPAD-Africa Solidarity Trust Fund project on promoting decent rural youth employment and Entrepreneurship in Agriculture and Agribusiness.
The project will be managed by the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) from 2016 to 2018.
Speaking in the capital Lilongwe on Wednesday during the launch of the project, FAO Country Representative, Florence Rolle said the project is an opportunity for Malawi youths as they will move from traditional agriculture to agribusiness thereby creating jobs among themselves.
“This is a fantastic project as it will create decent employment opportunities for young women and men through the development of sustainable agricultural and agribusiness enterprises alongside strategic value chains,” she said.
She said youth make a huge population in Malawi and most of them are in agriculture production but with the coming of project, youths will be attracted as they will trained in agri-business and other entrepreneurship activities rather than farming only.
NEPAD Project Manager, Abraham Salto said the project is an important initiative as it will transform youths of not only Malawi but Africa into Agribusiness and entrepreneurship sector.
“This project will help young people have employment and reduce gaps of hopelessness and unemployment. It will give new approach on how to deliver Agriculture to youths,” he said.
However, he said, upon successful implementation of the project, it will be replicated to other countries in Africa.
Other countries implementing the project include Niger, Cameroon and Uganda.
