Managing Director (MD), Benue State Agricultural Development Company BSADC, Mr Donald Akule, has disclosed that the Food Value Hunt initiative is geared towards showcasing and empowering young Benue agripreneurs.
He made the disclosure Saturday while speaking with journalists at the auditioning process for the Food Value Hunt, held the Agricultural Development Company’s (ADC) Silos, Wadata.Mr
Akule stated that the Food Value Hunt is an initiative of the Benue State Governor, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, who he said is poised towards engaging this generation of Benue youths in the agricultural businesses.
“We are looking at exposing Benue to the world, to give the state the needed visibility, an avenue for the talented agripreneurs that are in Benue State to showcase their talent to make export happen, to make the value chain robust and to make us get quality people that would be able to sustain businesses”, he said.
The MD of BSADC added that the food value hunt is an initiative that is carved out of a need to get the young people, the emerging generation, into the agricultural value chain. He also said that the audition will help them to identify youths who wants visibility, want to standardize their businesses and carve a niche for themselves.He explained that at the end of the 2-day auditioning, 120 participants from ages 10 to 35 years would be selected for each episode of the Food Value Hunt live show, which will feature 10 persons per episode and will run for 12 episodes. According to him, the main participants would be empowered through training, mentorship, sponsorship, soft loans or grants by their partners like the Bank of Industry (BOI), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and Lagos Business School, among others.
“During the show, there would be star panellists, with prices to be given out to the star performer per episode. At the end of the whole Value Hunt, which is in twelve episodes, there will be a winner. Every participant in the show is going to be a winner because he is going to be empowered through funding training and retraining. We are going to have a participatory audience who would also be youths between ages 18 to 35”, he disclosed.
Aondaseer Stephanie, who took part in the audition, presented a local drink (kunu) made from guinea corn, germinated rice and sweet potatoes. She said that if the drink was well packaged, it could sell beyond the shores of the country. She enumerated her challenges as high cost of production materials and lack of funds.
Four Students from Saint Joseph Science and Technical College, Makurdi, Cyprian Timothy, Michael Ehoche, Dilichwukwu Emmanuel and Daniel Ijebor at the auditioning, also showcased a handmade solar-powered poultry house and a fabricated weed cutter.
