On February 11, 2025, the CEO of AfriWomen, Chief Mrs Adebukola Oso alongside her team, visited the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) for a strategic meeting aimed at exploring potential collaborations. During the meeting, the CEO introduced AfriWomen, highlighting its mission, achievements, and challenges over the past five years. She shared insights into the various programs AfriWomen runs to empower women and youth, while also addressing the pressing issue of funding that NGOs face in sustaining their impact.
The Acting Executive Director of CRIN, Dr A.O Famaye warmly welcomed AfriWomen, expressing CRIN’s keen interest in collaboration. He emphasized that the institute sees this as the beginning of a promising partnership, with great potential for impact in empowering women and small-scale entrepreneurs.
A CRIN representative, Dr Dele Adeniyi commended AfriWomen’s work, stating that any organization that invests in training women and youth is already solving half the problem. He underscored the importance of addressing issues from the nuclear family, as sustainable change begins at the grassroots level. He also expressed hope in leveraging AfriWomen’s achievements to enhance CRIN’s initiatives.
Another representative, Dr Olayinka Jayeola, expressed appreciation for AfriWomen’s visit, especially on such short notice. She shared that he is deeply driven by the organization’s purpose and looks forward to establishing a strong relationship with AfriWomen. She further mentioned the importance of achieving tangible results together, as long as it aligns with CRIN’s mandate. Additionally, she highlighted opportunities for mentorship exchanges, where mentees could benefit from CRIN’s expertise in various forms of empowerment.
During the visit, the AfriWomen team had the opportunity to explore CRIN’s chocolate department, gaining firsthand experience of the value-added products the institute develops. These include cocoa-based wine, chocolate, bread, Choco tea, and even bee-related products. The CEO of AfriWomen expressed excitement at the possibilities, noting that these innovations could open doors for women in small-scale businesses. She emphasized that staple foods like garri, when approached innovatively, can create new market opportunities and inspire passion-driven enterprises.
The visit marked an important step in fostering collaboration between AfriWomen and CRIN. With both organizations committed to making a lasting impact, this engagement holds great promise for the future of women-led businesses and youth empowerment in Nigeria. AfriWomen looks forward to building on this foundation and exploring actionable ways to support women entrepreneurs in the agricultural value chain.
