04UniPod MOAUM

Programmes and training

Training, workshops and learning opportunities at the hub.

Rows of desktop computers on shared wooden desks in a bright room with a yellow feature wall

Design Lab

01Agric-Tech & Food System Innovation Hub

Hub Programme Framework

UniPod-MOAUM Agric-Tech and Food System Innovation Hub in Benue State, Nigeria—aligned with national frameworks such as the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP 2022–2027) and youth-led agricultural renewal plans. The program structure focuses on incubation, local technology deployment, and market access.

Pillar 1
Technology Incubation & Acceleration
- Agritech Startup Cohorts
  Run a 6-to-12-month incubation cycle for early-stage founders building digital advisory tools, farm-to-table logistics, and precision agriculture.
- Minimum Viable Product (MVP) & Prototype Lab
  Provide access to scientific testing, IoT sensors, and GIS/satellite data platforms (cooperating with local analytics firms).
- Mentorship Network
  Pair innovators with experienced agribusiness leaders, agronomists, and supply chain operators.
Pillar 2
Capacity Building & Skills Development
- Youth & Women Agribusiness Training
  Deliver hands-on training in modern agribusiness management, financial literacy, and climate-resilient farming.
- Extension & Digital Literacy Workshops
  Train local smallholder farmers to use mobile-based weather advisories, market price boards, and digital payment systems.
- Locally Fabricated Machinery Support
  Partner with local metalwork and engineering workshops to prototype and scale affordable smallholder mechanization tools (e.g., small seed planters, solar irrigation pumps, and grain threshers).
Pillar 3
Post-Harvest Loss & Value Chain Innovation
- Storage & Cold-Chain Solutions
  Pilot community grain banks, low-cost solar-powered cold storage units, and hermetic storage bags to cut down crop spoilage.
- Value-Addition Processing
  Train cooperatives in sorting, packaging, branding, and food safety compliance to turn raw produce into higher-margin retail goods.
Pillar 4
Access to Finance & Investor Matchmaking
- Agritech Pitch Days & Demo Days
  Connect vetted startups and farming cooperatives with angel investors, microfinance banks, and development partners (such as IFAD, FAO, or WFP-backed initiatives).
- Grant & Matching Fund Facilitation
  Help applicants navigate funding windows like the national joint SDG funds.
Pillar 5
Market Linkages & Policy Dialogue
- Structured Off-Taker Connect
  Build direct bridges between smallholder farmers and commercial processors, supermarkets, or export aggregators.
- Policy & Research Co-Creation
  Host regular dialogues with state and federal agricultural ministries to align local startup innovations with public food security strategies.

02Training and capacity building

Training and capacity building

Technical training
Training on automobile and renewable energy
Hands-on training at UniPod MOAUM on automobile and renewable energy, on the hub's electric vehicle and power training equipment.
Hands-on learning
In the workshop and the computer lab
Participants at work in UniPod MOAUM's workshop, in safety vests and gloves, and at the workstations of its computer lab, with an instructor leading the session.