Rice Miller Business Academy

The challenge

Rice mills in West Africa are central to food supply, but many run on thin margins with uneven quality and little marketing. Decisions were made ad hoc. GIZ wanted mills to be run as businesses, with support that lasts longer than a single training course.

What we did

• Designed and delivered a four-course academy on marketing, milling operations, finance and farmer services.
• Audited mills at the start, then coached each mill on its own priorities with follow-up support.
• Trained and backed up 28 local coaches in Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire.
• Ran courses and coaching records through the Sense learning platform.

Results

• 42 rice mills took part in training, audits and coaching across four countries.
• 20 mills supported in Phase I; Phase II added further training and coaching rounds.
• GIZ MOVE adopted the academy-plus-coaching model for further rollout.