KIC and AGRA Support Young Agripreneurs to Validate and Strengthen Business Models

Kosmos Innovation Center (KIC), in partnership with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), has successfully organized a Business Validation exercise under the Expanding, mentoring and coaching to build capacity and expand access to technical and financial resources for disadvantaged youth in agriculture in Ghana Project. This project is funded by AGRA and the Mastercard Foundation under the YEFFA (Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture) Programme. The initiative brought together young agripreneurs and women-led MSMEs to test, refine, and strengthen their business ideas with expert support.

Building Stronger Foundations for Agribusiness

The Business Validation sessions are designed to ensure that participants’ business models are practical, market-driven, and scalable. Through expert coaching, peer-to-peer learning, practical field visitation sessions and hands-on exercises, beneficiaries were able to fine-tune their concepts to better address gaps in their chosen value chains.

Participants received guidance on:

• Testing their business assumptions against real market needs• Refining products and services for customer adoption• Aligning business ideas with financial and investment readiness• Building sustainable models that create jobs and strengthen food systems

Voices from the Ground

Beneficiaries expressed their appreciation for the exercise, noting how it has opened their eyes to new opportunities while also exposing the risks and challenges they need to address. For many of the youth and women-led businesses, the process was a confidence boost to move their ventures from ideas to actionable enterprises.

Iddrisu Azumah Imurana (Founder, Al-Imran Company Limited) shared: “This exercise has helped me to look at my business model differently and identify practical steps to strengthen my operations.”

Togdia Fadila Rejoice (Founder, Homies Hub) remarked: “The validation sessions boosted my confidence and gave me clarity on how to refine my business to meet market needs.”

Speaking with KIC Communication, Mr. Benjamin Gyan-Kesse, Executive Director of KIC said:

“Business validation is a critical step in ensuring that young agripreneurs move from ideas to impactful businesses. By helping them test their assumptions and refine their models, we are laying the foundation for resilient and job-creating enterprises in agriculture.”

Driving Policy, Advocacy, and Impact

Through the Expanding, mentoring and coaching to build capacity and expand access to technical and financial resources for disadvantaged youth in agriculture in Ghana, KIC and AGRA are not only equipping young people with skills and resources but also strengthening the enabling environment for youth-led agribusinesses. The validation sessions contribute to broader advocacy efforts for policies that support innovation, access to finance, and market linkages for MSMEs in agriculture.

Looking Ahead

The Business Validation exercise is one of many interventions under the Project, which continues to empower over 300 youth and women-led MSMEs with the knowledge, tools, and opportunities to thrive in Ghana’s agricultural ecosystem.

Together, KIC and AGRA are proving that with the right support, young agripreneurs can turn bold ideas into viable businesses that drive food security, create jobs, and build sustainable futures.

Partner with KIC today. Visit www.kicghana.org for more information

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