TUMUTU, Bong County — Fifty young Liberians have began an agribusiness entrepreneurship bootcamp at the Tumutu Agriculture Vocational Training Center (TAVTC), aimed at equipping participants with the skills and resources to establish businesses, create employment, and improve livelihoods.
By Francis G. Boayue
The initiative is implemented by YOCEL INC. in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS), with support from the World Bank through the Rural Economic Transformation Project (RETRAP).
The project, titled “Piloting the Mentorship and Incubation Programs to Enhance the Skills and Employability of TVET Youth through Self-Initiated Agribusiness Activities,” seeks to bridge the gap between technical and vocational education and sustainable employment by combining practical agricultural training with mentorship and business development support.
Speaking during the launch, YOCEL Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel G. Mulbah encouraged participants to remain focused and disciplined throughout the programme, emphasizing the importance of young people in driving national development.
Mulbah also acknowledged the support of the government and development partners in expanding opportunities for young Liberians within the country’s agricultural sector.
Delivering the official launch message, Deputy Minister for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, Laraamand Shenkin Nyonton, described the bootcamp as an important link between vocational training, agricultural investment, and market opportunities.
Nyonton highlighted the collaboration between the Ministries of Agriculture and Youth and Sports, recognizing the contribution of Assistant Minister Collins Tamba in advancing the initiative.
He said the programme aligns with the government’s Liberians Feed Yourselves Agenda, emphasizing the role of technical and vocational education and training in promoting employment, economic independence, and agricultural productivity.
Addressing the first cohort of 50 trainees, Nyonton urged participants to take the opportunity seriously and apply themselves to the practical knowledge and business skills being offered.
He identified financial literacy, farm management, agricultural production, and marketing as essential components for building viable agribusiness enterprises.
The bootcamp is expected to prepare participants for opportunities as agribusiness owners, farm managers, and commercial agricultural operators, while contributing to local food production and strengthening agricultural value chains.
According to the organizers, the mentorship and incubation component will provide participants with additional support to translate their technical skills into business ventures capable of generating income and creating employment.
Officially declaring the bootcamp open, Deputy Minister Nyonton challenged the trainees to approach every lesson with commitment and purpose.
He emphasized that the success of the initiative would depend on the participants’ ability to transform the knowledge and skills acquired into productive enterprises that support their families, create opportunities for others, and contribute to Liberia’s rural economic development.
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