ILO conducts training of business formalization coaches to help young agri-entrepreneurs formalize their businesses

15 November 2021

The SME Unit in the Enterprises Department of the International Labour Organization (ILO) conducted a training programme for coaches on business formalization for agri-entrepreneurs. The programme is realised with support from the ILO Regional Office for Africa.

In partnership with JR Farms Africa and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 30 prospective coaches from Nigeria, Rwanda and Uganda joined the training programme which started in October 2021.

The main objectives of the programme are to support coaches to:
  • identify business formalization requirements and incentives in their country;
  • strengthen capacities so that they can assist entrepreneurs along the formalization journey.
The participants bring in useful professional experience that helps their future role as business formalization coaches. Some are agricultural entrepreneurs who have successfully gone through business formalization procedures and obtained a wealth of practical knowhow. Others are either individual consultants or employees of organisations and initiatives that provide businesses development and coaching services to micro and small enterprises in Africa.

What are the training elements?

To complete the training programme, participants submit a group work assignment which requires them to research and identify main areas of business formalization relevant for agribusinesses in each country (e.g. business registration, taxes, sector-specific and social security requirements). This is followed by a virtual workshop during which the group work is discussed and participants develop coaching methodologies and skills for accompanying informal enterprises. The final element of the training programme foresees a test coaching with an informal entrepreneur that has to be facilitated by each training participant. Throughout all training elements, the ILO provides guidance to the coaches who also benefit from the expertise of JR Farms Africa and the FAO.