Page 91 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 13

Innovate Afrika

In this interview we speak with Jignesh Vi-
radia, Indian pan-Afrikanist, investor, busi- which is called cocoa, which has
nessman and founder of Agrolabs in Ghana, both amazing value in terms of

which is part of the charge towards value nutrition and gold is the highest val-
ued commodity product. Cocoa is a
addition in the cocoa industry. tremendous opportunity; more and
more entrepreneurs should come
and start and see how they can
produce locally and also support the
Afrikan entrepreneurs who want to
brought to Afrika, Afrika has all the a cocoa drink. The president has get into this particular trade. Cocoa
ingredients to come up with tour- also announced one cocoa drink for is used in plenty of things, it’s not
ism destinations and breathtaking one child policy for schools, for the just chocolate. Right from beauty
destinations, where it could make school feeding program, to support
a difference to the outside world local cocoa. And cocoa is a magical products to health products, name
to see it from a different perspec- powder which can give high fiber it. It is a universal product.
tive. Considering all these factors I content to your body, which gives You’re also working on a very
believe that a small contribution that health benefits to growing children.
I could make in my lifetime, which We are in support of the president’s unique anti-venom for Afrika.
I want to do for Afrika, is to bring initiative in terms of pushing local Dr Akshay Rath is Indian by birth
Afrika to the highest level that I can. production, and seeing how we can but he has a passion towards doing
contribute to that effort and bring something for Afrika. He spent
Absolutely, because it’s a Ghanaian chocolates to the world. around 8 years doing research
completely non-exploitative about pan-Afrikan snakes and he
relationship, which Afrika has It’s about time. There’s a came out with a unique anti-venom
serum, with 100% efficacy in terms
grown exhausted of. Recently gentleman in Togo who is also of treatment. It’s the only Afri-
President Addo spoke about trying to do local chocolate kan anti-venom meant for Afrika
his desire to start to wean using cocoa there. specifically. It works for every type
Ghana off exporting raw ma- Yes, recently I just got an inquiry of snake that exists in Afrika. This
terials to other countries and from a large company in Cameroon is the only one, we don’t have any
he was speaking particularly who are putting up a big factory substitute close to it. He has spent
about cocoa. I noticed you’re there. So, yes, the drive is spreading. his life behind this just to see what
Afrikan chocolate at last!
working in the area of cocoa And just to give you insight. Where value he can bring to it. I have part-
and chocolate and you’ve gone 90% of the cocoa is used from nered with him to take his vision to
into value addition in cocoa. different parts of the world, 10% is pan-Afrika. He is a medical profes-
sional from John’s Hopkins and he
Tell us a little about that jour- used from Ghana to add texture and worked for the UN, he was a special
ney. flavor. So, a small amount of cocoa aide to Mr. Kofi Annan, the UN
Yes, His Excellency President Nana from Afrika brings 100% value to a Secretary General, and now he is liv-
Addo has taken a bold initiative by product. Because everybody is habit- ing in Ghana and trying to see how
pushing local production in cocoa, uated with eating a chocolate which we can push this into the Afrikan
where he is insisting that we bring has less cocoa and less nutrition or market. It has all the accreditation,
value addition to cocoa products. less golden cocoa and more of the right from FDA approval to approv-
Cocoa, right now, is not patronized non-nutritious or undervalued prod- al from about five or six countries.
in terms of local production. It is uct, you don’t get the taste. But once Now we are trying to penetrate
getting exported and then interna- you eat the Ghanaian 100% original more by doing more advocacy to see
tional or foreign chocolates come cocoa or chocolate, it’s completely how more people can know about it
back to Ghana and we pay maybe different. It sweetens your mouth; it and value a product which is made
10, 20 or 50 times [more] to buy gives better flavor and texture. for Afrika and by Afrika.
and eat it. We are trying to come
up with local production in terms So, it’s premium cocoa! I want to speak to you from
of chocolates and see what value ad- It’s premium. Ghana is known for the perspective of your exper-
dition we can do. Going forward, we two things: the gold, which is real tise as a business person who
may think of even coming up with gold, and second is the brown gold,

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