Taiwo Hassan 
In a bid to find solution to rising unemployment in the agro-processing sector in the country, ReelFruit, Temploy, and Made Culture have partnered to launch ReelSkills for Agribusiness initiative designed to train 1,000 youths on technical and soft skills demanded by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) within the agro-processing sector in Nigeria.
The initiative, funded by The Netherlands Government under the Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE) programme, is a training and job-matching programme designed to equip Senior Secondary Certificate of Education (SSCE) holders and Ordinary National Diploma (OND) between the ages of 18 to 35 years with skills in food safety and processing, digital sales and marketing.
Commenting on the initiative, the founder and Chief Executive Officer, ReelFruit, Affiong Williams, said: “Having realised that the agro-processing sector offers enormous opportunities, we are thrilled to have partnered with Temploy and Made Culture on this initiative that will enable us not only to build potential but also offer us the opportunity to equip young Nigerians who have the interest to grow this sector. “We are committed to building the agro-processing sector and creating opportunities for young people.
We believe that we can build and support more entrepreneurs within this sector through this initiative and we are happy to have kicked off this initiative that will transform the processing and manufacturing ecosystem,” she stated. Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer, Temploy Nigeria, Juyin Benson, said: “Temploy is delighted to be collaborating with ReelFruit and Made Culture to build the capacity of young Nigerians. “We are devoted to recruiting, training and equipping 1,000 youths within Lagos and Ogun States over the next three years with digital and technical skills that will prepare them for a career in the agro-processing sector.”
The founder & Principal Director of Made Culture, Malaika Toyo, also said: “I believe passionately in using small-tomedium enterprises as skills development hubs for youth. In our quest to tackle Nigeria’s unemployment crisis, we hope to articulate the needs of the labour market to inform how we can provide lifelong learning skills that will improve the lives of young Nigerians.” The first batch of trainees selected based on their availability, qualification as an OND or SSCE holder, and desire to begin a career in the agro-processing sector, have officially been trained and are keen on embarking on the job-matching and a lifelong career in agroprocessing.