ABH AI Newsletter: Advice on navigating the Carbon Credit Market, a Hero taking affordable healthcare to Nigeria’s open markets, and more.
Africa's Business Heroes
We aim to identify, spotlight and support African entrepreneur heroes creating impact in their communities.
Welcome to African AI, Africa’s Business Heroes newsletter that shares stories and articles on African impact, insight, and innovation. We are excited to bring you news from our community of entrepreneurs, business leaders, and professionals in Africa. In this edition, our 2019 3rd prize winner, Christelle Kwizera, helps us demystify the carbon credit market and shares insights on how other African entrepreneurs can approach it.
We also hear from Dr. Yetunde Ayo-Oyalowo, a 2022 top 50 winner, about her company Market Doctors, which brings affordable healthcare to Nigeria’s open markets. She shares how she approaches this very personal mission and how she has converted it into a model that works. ABH’s Partnership & Marketing Manager, Lambert Akwa, shares his reflections on the value of entrepreneurship ecosystems, inspired by observing the Egyptian ecosystem in which many ABH heroes work.
Be sure to check out our Opportunity Desk at the end, where you will find opportunities ranging from career opportunities to courses and programs that our community members are offering.
We’re glad you are on this journey with us!
Sincerely,
ABH Team ?
Our spotlight hero of the month is Mahmud Johnson, the founder and CEO of J-Palm Liberia- a company that buys fresh, natural palm kernels from smallholder farmers in rural communities in Liberia. The company cold presses the palm kernels into oil and uses the oil to create a range of natural health and beauty products such as soaps, moisturizers, and hair conditioners. Instead of wasting the palm kernels, a practice that was common in the past, smallholder farmers in Liberia can now earn additional income from selling the palm kernels to J-Palm. Through this process, J-Palm is creating jobs and livelihood opportunities for hundreds of Liberians.
With the growing trends of consumers demanding accountability from brands and the rising demand for product traceability, J-Palm developed a traceability app that seeks to better connect harvesters with buyers and helps agents track the amount of palm oil produced and sold by each harvester. Harvesters can be paid through mobile money for sales made through J-Palm agents. To date, this new technology has been rolled out to 20 communities. A recent survey found that 98% of harvesters selling to J-Palm agents reported that the app helped them improve their overall income. The incorporation of mobile money streamlines the payment process for those selling through J-Palm agents, eliminating the need for them to travel to receive payment. The app has also enabled the company to demonstrate traceability of the harvest from farm to factory, and subsequently gain ‘Organic Certification’. ?
J-Palm Liberia has worked with partners ranging from the Whole Planet Foundation to build mini-mills in Liberia and GSMA to leverage mobile blockchain technology to gain efficiencies and transparency in the palm oil value chain. As an ABH Community, we congratulate Mahmud Johnson for the impact he and his team have had on smallholder farmers in Liberia. ?
Source: J-Palm Liberia & GSMA
领英推荐
We are excited to bring you the various opportunities that are emerging out of our broad community. Take a look and share them with your network as well.
ABH IS LOOKING FOR JUDGES!
The Africa's Business Heroes (ABH) program is on the lookout for industry experts to help identify and support Africa's most impactful entrepreneurs.? We invite professionals, investors, and business leaders with 5+ years of experience to register and join our vibrant community. By participating, you'll engage with inspiring entrepreneurs and contribute to shaping the future of African entrepreneurship.
You may also nominate a game-changing business leader to join our judging panel. Let's work together to uplift the next generation of Africa's Business Heroes.
OUR HEROES AS SEEN IN THE NEWS
Our heroes continue to do good work and the articles below highlight some of the heroes featured in various publications in the month of June.
OUR HEROES ARE HIRING
OPPORTUNITIES FROM OUR PARTNERS
Follow us on social media to stay tuned for exciting news!
Christelle Kwizera Yetunde Ayo-Oyalowo Lambert Akwa Mahmud Johnson thank you for your contribution to this month's newsletter!