Affi Ibanga Hosts 2nd edition of Entrepreneurship Summit
-Empowers Akwa Ibom Youth
…as Agric Commissioner, MD AKICORP, applaud the move
President of the Happy Hour Connect Initiative, Mrs Affi Ibanga has hosted the second edition of the Akwa Ibom Youth Entrepreneurship Summit (AYES), in collaboration with Vika Farms Limited as a show of support for Governor Umo Eno’s A-R-I-S-E Agenda in the agricultural sector in celebration of the World Youth Skills Day.
The event which held on Monday, July 15, 2024 at Vika Farms Ltd, off Idu road, Mbak Etoi in Uyo saw scores of youth empowered to start-up or sustain their agrobusinesses.
In her welcome address, the Happy Hour Connect President, Mrs. Affi Ibanga said the event was necessitated by the need to empower the youth back to farm with innovative solutions for contemporary challenges in the sector.
She further stated that her organization, mandated with the objective of bringing together innovative solutions to address specific knowledge gaps and new approaches, will showcase ways technology can make agriculture attractive in order to unlock untapped opportunities for the teeming youths, generate employment while stimulating the local economy.
Declaring the event open, Chairman on the occasion, Pastor Imo-Abasi Jacob applauded the move and expatiate on the A-R-I-S-E Agenda of the Akwa Ibom State Governor.
He urged the participants to make good use of the opportunity provided by the platform to develop their potentials.
Represented by the Executive Director, Agric Investments, Mr. Godwin Ukwat; the Chairman called on youth of the State to embrace the Governor’s all-encompassing agenda for the benefit of all.
In her keynote address, the Honorable Commissioner, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Offiong Offor reiterated Governor Umo Eno’s commitment to giving young people the needed support required to invest in Agriculture.
On his part, the Chairman VIKA farms Limited, Dr. Asikpo Essienibok called for true independence of the country through agriculture, pointing out that a society that centers on food importation has lost it’s integrity.
The summit which was result-oriented had a break-out session where discussants expressed concerns on Crop Farming, Agro Processing and Husbandry while participants made suggestions and recommendations on the way forward.
A Paper on “Dissecting hydroponic farming in an organic way” was presented by Mr. Ntuen Anyang, followed by goodwill messages from concerned stakeholders, including the State Coordinator, Nigeria Agribusiness and Agro- industry Development Initiative (NAADI) Mr. Howard Usen who spoke on reducing post-havest losses and Mr. Patrick Afia who presented a paper on Waste to wealth.
The two-day event ended with a practical session on Tuesday, July 16, and had prominent personalities in attendance such as the likes of Chairperson Ibom Led, Mrs. Ekaette Umo; Director, Royalty Hotels, Prof. Enobong Eno who presented a paper on “Overcoming a Fixed Mindset”, while Mr. William Anwana presented a paper on “Empowering Team for business growth: the Leadership Mindset”.
A Highpoint of the event was the unveiling of the Corporate Farmer Logo by the Honorable Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development and a tour of exhibition stands.