Zowasel Executive Board Makes Strategic Appointments to Drive African Operations.
Zowasel, an agricultural technology company has appointed three senior executives to spearhead its African operations.
At its board meeting in May 2024 in Lagos, the company appointed Austin Chibuike as its Chief Technology Officer, Vyone Ming’ate as Country Director for Kenya, and Petro Benjamin as Country Representative for Tanzania.
This strategic appointment aims to harness the company’s internal talent and the Entrepreneur-In-Residence program to drive expansion and build cutting-edge digital technologies aimed at transforming agriculture into a more sustainable industry.
The new senior executives, Austin, Vyone, and Petro, bring a wealth of knowledge and experience in agriculture, technology, and finance. Their diverse backgrounds and expertise will be instrumental in driving the company’s operations and delivering value to its customers.
Zowasel Board Chairman, Mr. Babajide Fagade expressed confidence in the leadership of the appointees, stating, “We are thrilled to welcome Vyone and Petro to lead our East African operations, and Austin to spearhead our technology drive to revolutionize agricultural value chains across Africa.”
Since joining Zowasel in 2021, Austin has been instrumental in our technological advancements. As Chief Technology Officer, he will lead our global team of engineers and technology staff, focusing on developing next-generation data and software solutions for alternative financing commodity marketing and MRV development to drive regenerative agriculture programs across the continent. These advancements have the potential to revolutionize the agricultural sector in Africa, making it more sustainable and profitable for smallholder farmers.
Vyonne has been crucial to Zowasel’s fundraising efforts, spearheading initiatives that have secured significant investments for our operations. As she transitions into the role of Country Director, Vyonne will lead our expansion and fundraising efforts for the development and marketing of Zowasel’s products and services, including our flagship commodity marketplace platform. Her fundraising and business development expertise will drive our growth in Kenya and beyond.
Petro, on his part, joined Zowasel in 2023 through the company’s Global Entrepreneur-In-Residence Program, designed to attract top entrepreneurial talent to drive innovation and growth. In his new role as Country Representative, Petro will oversee the day-to-day execution of strategic operational initiatives across key value chains. With field operations and sales experience, he will market the company’s products and services across Tanzania, working with farmers’ unions and cooperatives to digitize their operations and drive sustainable agriculture.
Zowasel’s flagship Commodity Marketplace is a platform that directly connects smallholder farmers through their cooperatives to profiled premium markets, providing real-time market intelligence, analysis, bid/offer management, hedging, negotiations, and integrated third-party workflows. Additionally, access to finance will be provided through Zowasel’s alternative credit evaluation scoring system.
Zowasel’s Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) Technology, which will also be deployed in East Africa, is designed to enable corporate organizations to drive the transition to regenerative agriculture through transparent and accountable measurement, reporting, and verification of their carbon footprints to meet voluntary and regulatory compliance goals. The technology provides a platform to track, measure, and report carbon footprints across various values to meet voluntary and regulatory compliance, while rewarding smallholder farmers through carbon incentives to drive the transition.
These strategic leadership appointments and innovative technologies underscore Zowasel’s mission to transform the African agricultural landscape. Zowasel is poised to lead the charge towards a more resilient and profitable agricultural sector. By empowering smallholder farmers and driving the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices, Zowasel aims to not only reduce carbon footprints but also create a pathway for sustainable growth and prosperity across the continent.
For more inquiries, contact: partners@zowasel.com
