Early this week, Akindele attended the Africa Agri-tech Development Forum championed by the Bobab organization themed: Financing the Future of Off-Farm Innovation. In attendance was also The Head of Partnerships, Aceli Africa, Christabell Makokha; The Group Chief Executive Officer, APA Insurance, Ashok Shah; Regional Director, Bolt Foods, Hillery Miller-Wise, and British Politician, Lord Paul Boateng serving as the moderator for the programme.
Akindele with the High Commissioner of Canade to Nigeria
During a discussion session, Akindele stressed the need for more collaboration of players across the food value chain. He explained that owing to the effect of the pandemic, the modus operands have changed from the traditional method of Farm to Market. According to Akindele, the pandemic pointed out the inefficiencies and flaws of the system requiring a higher level of participation in terms of innovation and technology.
Citing Farmcrowdy as a solution model, he said “What we have done is to ensure that we have products of the last 4 to 5 years that addresses different players along with the food value chain this includes the core production, processing and wholesale sides also involving potential market points such as Bukka.’
Further, into his session, Akindele focused more on the need to finance the future of off-farm innovation in Africa. He explained how farmcrowdy established off-farm innovative products to close and ease supply gaps in the food chain. “The off-farm innovation came from the fact that we had been dealing and working with a lot of players along the food value chain; from farmers themselves to the processors needing certain commodities as inputs into their processing line. Also, buyers outside of the country. We started with BTC before we graduated to the larger area of the chain”, He said.
Akindele expressed that he believes other off-farm innovations can emerge in Africa because asides from having a large population of people, there are food security issues that will need to be solved.
