African Development Bank-supported Cameroonian start-up provides low-cost greenhouses, sustainable solutions to boost livelihoods

A youth-led agricultural start-up is supporting farmers in climate-vulnerable Cameroon to produce crops sustainably year-round using low-cost greenhouses and solar-powered irrigation.

Mumita Holdings is a beneficiary of the African Development Bank’s  investment into the channelling of private capital to young African entrepreneurs, who are seen as critical to unlocking innovative solutions to climate change and the continent’s energy transition.

Tackling climate change is an urgent global priority and perhaps more critical in Africa. The continent is home to nine of the ten countries most vulnerable to climate change worldwide.  In response to this pressing challenge, the African Development Bank Group has committed to mobilize $25 billion in climate finance by 2025.

Mumita’s CEO, Matiedje Nkenmayi Gislaine, was among 15 winners of the 2021 African Youth Adaptation (YouthADAPT) Solutions Challenge, organized annually by the bank and the Global Centre on Adaptation as part of their joint Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP). Mumita received a development grant of $100,000 and participated in a 12-month business accelerator program to scale up the business, create more jobs and expand its impact.

Mumita supports farmers in climate-vulnerable Cameroon to produce crops sustainably year-round using low-cost greenhouses and solar-powered irrigation. The firm mainly targets rural women farmers that cultivate African indigenous green leafy vegetables such as ndole and eru, or bitter leaf and wild spinach. These vegetables are an important source of revenue and nutrition. Demand for these leafy greens and tubers has increased, but production has not kept pace. At the same time, climate change impacts, including erratic rainfall patterns, have also hurt yields.

Mumita provides low-cost greenhouses that facilitate the year-round cultivation of vegetables. The greenhouses are made from materials such as wood, cement and mesh that are sourced locally from farmers. This has reduced the cost of building a greenhouse from $2,500 to about $500. The cost reduction has boosted yields and earnings. Mumita has also partnered with French company ASAP PROS1 to brand vegetable packaging with its own label.

For Nkenmayi, winning the YouthADAPT Challenge translated into multiple benefits for her business and rural communities in Cameroon.

“YouthADAPT funding has enabled us to construct two steel greenhouses in two cooperatives, as well as 10 wooden greenhouses, which has helped improve the capacity of vegetable nurseries from 1,500 seedlings to 25,000 seedlings,” Nkemanyi said. “We have also set up a processing unit, which can transform 1 tonne of dried vegetables per week, up from an initial 100 kg. We have also trained over 2,300 farmers in 10 villages in the southwest region, Mbanga in the Littoral region, Bamenda in the Northwest, and Boumnybel,” she added.

Currently, Mumita can supply indigenous dried vegetables in most of Cameroon but aims to expand coverage within and into other parts of sub-Saharan Africa.

The African Development Bank recognises the critical role of private investment, in closing financing gaps to drive green growth and build climate resilience.  In line with this commitment, the bank is focusing on Mobilizing Private Sector Financing for Climate and Green Growth in Africa as the central theme of its 2023 Annual Meetings scheduled for 22-26 May in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt