Started in January 2008, Nyanza Economic Forum is still in its formative stages of mobilizing members and establishing itself as an organization. This establishment phase is being coordinated by an 11 member Task Force mandated by the forum to oversee its establishment and to spearhead the identification and compilation of existing and emerging investment opportunities in Nyanza with the view to effecting economic change to a large proportion of people living in Nyanza Province.
In regard to project identification, the Task Force has decided to initially narrow its focus to the following three strategic areas:
Agriculture and Agribusiness (horticulture, dairy, honey, agro-processing etc.)
Lake Victoria (fish industry, irrigation, water sports, entertainment, hyacinth, etc)
Financial and Business Development Services (microfinance, market development, technical skills training etc)
Within each of these three broad areas, the Task Force has identified a number of business opportunities that Forum members will be urged to consider seriously, either as individuals, investment groups or as a Forum investment:
The first investment opportunity involves the establishment of modern, irrigated greenhouses on small and medium sized farms. The initiative is open to individual and groups seeking to cash in on the large and growing demand for fresh vegetables in the wider Kisumu market. This strategic focus is also based on the premise that Kisumu City will soon have an international airport from where fresh fruits and vegetables will be exported.
The second is a proposed establishment of a private refrigeration facility in Kisumu to enable for a more structured buying and marketing of fish from Lake Victoria. This effort, which requires some more in-depth analysis, calls for the establishment of an investment company to be owned and managed by the group of participating investors or by the Forum.
A third opportunity is one of engaging in the plantation of fruit trees and trees (i.e., Mangoes, Hass Avocadoes, Jatropha, Eucalypts, etc) each to total of about 1 million trees in the next two years. The justification for this is that apart from the export opportunity, in three to four years time, juice, jam and other by-products can be processed in Nyanza using medium and large-scale factories. Jatropha is a high yielding bio-diesel crop.
The Nyanza Economic Forum will organize and bring together its members engaged in different activities and publicized fora to highlight challenges, and strategic solutions to the challenges including; identifying, and soliciting for partners, funds, political goodwill and required infrastructure to ensure the success of the enterprises.
NEF will likewise participate in philanthropic activities intended to cushion the people of Nyanza from lack of social opportunities by working with NGOs, CBOs, Educationists, GOK Ministries and Donors to address by highlighting and suggesting collective action.
