ReelFruit targets 1,000 youths for agri-processing opportunities

In line with its commitments towards building the Agri-processing sector and creating opportunities for young people in the country, ReelFruit is set to launch an Agribusiness initiative – ReelSkills, designed to train 1000 youths on technical and soft skills demanded by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) within the Agri-processing sector.

The initiative, in partnership with Temploy and Made Culture, is funded by the Netherlands Government, under the Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE) programme. It is a training and job-matching programme, designed to equip Senior Secondary Certificate (SSCE) and Ordinary National Diploma (OND) holders between the ages of 18 – 35 years with skills in Food Safety and Processing, Digital Sales and Marketing.

During a virtual media parley where the initiative was unveiled, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer, ReelFruit, Affiong Williams said, “Having realised that the Agri-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 Agri-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.”

The Chief Executive Officer, Temploy Nigeria, Juyin Benson, who said her firm is delighted to be collaborating with ReelFruit and Made Culture to build the capacity of young Nigerians, noted that it is devoted to recruiting, training and equipping the 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 sector.

The Founder & Principal Director of Made Culture, Malaika Toyo, also said: “I believe passionately in using small-to-medium 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 Guardian learnt that the first batch of trainees selected have officially been trained and are keen on embarking on the job-matching and a lifelong career in Agri-processing.