by In Summary:
- Chad has vast institutional gaps to be filled by entrepreneurs
- NGOs play pivotal role to boost green entrepreneurship
The Republic of Chad is a strategic focal point between North and South Sahara Africa.
Masked by the Sahara Desert– largest hot desert in the world, the landlocked state is lucked by lake Chad providing water to more than 30 million livelihoods in the countries and its neighbors.
Lake Chad is an important tool for economic stability in the region and crucial for agricultural activities.
It provides water to the constantly growing population, supporting the livelihood of millions of people.
The lake gives the base to any agricultural activity and by so doing encourages the growth of agricultural industries in the region.
Government accountability in agricultural entrepreneurship
The government mostly relies on work carried out by international organizations, but also carries out different initiatives.
Projects such as PACADET improves business climate and economic diversification. It aims to promote private sector diversification for inclusive economic development.
This has encouraged green entrepreneurs to invest in this venture. Agricultural sector employs eighty-five percent of chad’s workforce.
The sector, however, contributes only forty-four percent to the gross domestic product.
Most of the farm produce, and raw materials are exported forming eighty percent of country’s export. Green entrepreneurship has however faced challenges.
Poor infrastructure, low rainfall, climate variations, plagues and pest combined with the problem of soil erosion and desertification, threatening harvest and livestock.
Farmers lack access to services, knowledge, and technology. They need to improve productivity, inadequate access to rural financial services.
Since 1945, climate change challenges and insecurity from terrorist group- Boko Haram, have caused a great loss in the country’s resources.
This has led to the deterioration of the economy since population depends principally on crop farming, livestock breeding, and fishing.
Ditto increased level of poverty, unemployment, political marginalization, and gender-based violence.
NGOs play pivotal role in green entrepreneurship
Political instability has hugely affected farming business in Chad. This left the country with unstable government, poor infrastructures, and critical humanitarian situation.
Many organizations have joined to support Chad fight the crises.
They provide water, sanitation, hygiene support, and accompaniment to meet up with the 17 goals of sustainable development stated by the United Nations.
The World Bank implemented a Lake Chad region recovery and development project to contribute to the recovery of the Lake Chad region.
They have supported, coordinated and monitored regional crisis, connecting agricultural livelihoods in selected provinces in Chad.
The regional crises are characterized by high infant mortality rate, population movement, food insecurity, environmental degradation, and disease outbreak.
Almost 6.3 million people in Chad have been affected by humanitarian crises, resulting in widespread poverty, hunger, and displacement.
Institutional gap for entrepreneurship
The modest economic growth is the result of a functional government with checks and accountability.
Little attention given to the government human resource management system, civil servants’ qualifications and therefore demoralize them from performing their tasks.
Poor food processing lines
Chad is a big exporter of live cattle but there is no unit to process meat, milk, and hides.
Low productivity in the primary sector is accompanied by a lack of processing facilities. The industrial sector is limited and consists mainly of Chadian company.
Women empowerment
Women are the main workforce in agriculture and agribusiness as considerable number of men has been killed during conflicts.
However, women still face marginalization and radicalization.
They also face difficulties in obtaining loans and other resources. Gender inequality is manifested in low employment rate of women in government.
Education and Health Sector
Seventy percent of chads population is illiterate and only a small percentage has received formal education.
This creates a barrier in the assimilation of the technology to improve agricultural entrepreneurship and agribusiness.
In the health sector, most doctors channel their skills to urban areas, particularly in the capital.
The same scenario is observed in the public health facilities.
This renders it difficult to live-in the rural areas, consequently, high death rates experienced in the rural areas.
The institutional gaps above can easily be filled by entrepreneurs.
REFRENCES
- Adelphi 32, 2018
- Ambio 45(7), 781-795, 2016
- Commonwealth and comparatives politics 55 (4), 403-425, 2017
- Elcano Newsletter, 7, 2008 Paul- Simon Handy
- Enviroment: science and policy for sustainable development 34 (6), 16-43,1992 Charles F Hutchinson, Peter Warshall, Eric J Arnould, Janusz Kindler
- Feminist economics 22 (1), 264-294, 2016 Ana Vaz, Pierre Prately, Sabina Alkire
- International monetary fund Poverty reduction stragey paper, 35, 2003
- Journal of Mason Graduate research 6 (2), 154-179 2019 Gia Crome
- Politique africaine, 179-197, 2019 Alessio locchi
- Republic of Chad business climate improvement and economic diversification support project, November2013
