Cynthia Mosunmola Umoru

Cynthia Mosunmola Umoru is a Nigerian farmer/agribusiness entrepreneur a leading voice in the Agric Sector who is extremely passionate about it and value chain. Through her work she has piqued youth interest and participation in Agriculture. Her vision is to create food security in Nigeria. and economic development through agriculture
Early life and education
Mosunmola grew up in Lagos and had no interest in agriculture. Mosunmola attended Eva Adelaja Secondary and Lagos State University where she studied Zoolology /Animal Biology
She had only fleeting interest in agriculture and was the President of young farmers club in her secondary school. Mosunmola wanted be a medical doctor and she got admitted to study in medical school in Northern Nigeria but an outbreak of violence informed her change of school and invariably of course which influenced the her career path as farmer.It was the change in course that ignited and redirected her interest and awakened her passion for agriculture in her course of study realized the immense potential in agriculture especially for the youth.
Career
Mosunmola interned at ExxonMobil where she learnt a lot about methods, techniques and systems which enlighten her further in her quest to pursue a career in farming.
She started her own company shortly after graduating from university .They were suppliers of food items to quick service restaurants which when scarcity of this items prompted her to search deep within and do a backward integration to set up her own farm to bridge the gap the value chain. It also led her start her retail business Farmshoppe the desire to see high quality produce on the tables of consumers.
Initiatives
She set up ABIRA Agricultural and Educational Support Initiative to help bridge the gaps identified in Nigeria and involve the youth in the sector, fostering sustainable economic growth leading to the establishment and growth of SME sector. ABIRA focuses on schools, governments, and businesses fostering partnerships and interventions a training program to teach business management to the youth.
Through her work she has inspired youth to pick up interest in agriculture sector due to her success and to sign up and revive their school's Young Farmers’ Club. Mosunmola understands that the roadmap to make this initiative gain traction and impact is to use the KISS Principle so enthusiasm will not wane and also it brings monetary rewards in the short term . She also went on to sets up the farmers’ clubs to participate in mini-livestock farming and vegetable gardening
Mosunmola gives seminars targeted to poor rural female farmers connecting them recent technological advancements in Agriculture to integrate them in present agricultural practises.
Awards and recognition
Alum (2015). She served the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Nigeria as Senior Technical Adviser on Youth and Gender Chief Audu Ogeh.
Mosunmola has returned to her passion farming, haven developed 700hectare farm projects in the southwestern region of Nigeria.
She won the businessowner of the year 2009 and was the face of the ‘I represent Naija’ campaign
She won the future awards 2011 for female farmer and face of youth entrepreneurship in Nigeria
She is 2011 Ashoka Fellow
She is 10,000 women Goldman Sachs Scholar
A 2015 Desmond Tutu Fellow of African Leadersship.
US State Department IVLP Fellow

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