The African Agribusiness Incubators Network, AAIN, have held an extraordinary Conference and Expo in the Senegalese capital of Dakar aimed at using Agribusiness as a tool for job creation and poverty alleviation.

The three-day conference held from 7th to 9th March 2018 at the Cheick Anta Diop University was the first ever Youth Conference by the Africa Agribusiness Incubation Network (AAIN).

The Conference which was held under the theme ‘Youth engagement in Agribusiness trade and investment’ was preceded by a two-day training workshop for Agribusiness incubators who were equipped with the requisite knowledge for the Agribusiness profession.

With over hundred youths and women attending from over 15 African countries, the Youth Conference was a means to encourage the youth to engage in Agribusiness, Trade and Investment and be part of the Agribusiness Revolution in Africa.

In his welcome address, the CEO of AAIN, Dr. Alex Ariho revealed that Africa needs to wake up and take Agribusiness as a serious area that will provide the youth with numerous jobs and lead in poverty alleviation.

“The continent is not lacking academicians or mathematicians or scientists but we what we are lacking is solution providers. So it’s high time we invest together to create jobs and encourage the new generation to take Agribusiness as an area that provides numerous jobs,” Dr. Ariho noted.

Several agencies including CTA, NEPAD, GIZ, PFO, AATF and many more attended the conference which consisted of training on incubator management, workshops, agribusiness incubation seminars, pitches, special session on African Agribusiness Incubation Program Working Group meeting, marketplace, and B2B interactions.

AAIN awarded certificates to all the youth who took part in the incubation training and encouraged them to implement whatever they have learnt into practice for the development of Agribusiness.

The conference also provided an excellent platform for networking among incubatees and agencies who patronized the event.