Young agripreneurs, policymakers, and development partners gathered in Kigali on March 14 for a youth-led dialogue on the future of Africa’s food systems, highlighting how stronger agri-food systems can drive job creation, enterprise development, and innovation for the continent’s rapidly growing youth population.
The conversation, themed “Who Gets to Shape Africa’s Food Future?”, was hosted by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) in partnership with Global Citizen on the sidelines of Move Afrika. The dialogue brought together young entrepreneurs, ecosystem actors, and policymakers at Select Boutique Hotel & Restaurant for an open discussion on opportunities and barriers facing youth in Africa’s agri-food sector.
Across the continent, agriculture employs a significant share of the population, yet many young people still perceive the sector as a last resort rather than a viable economic pathway. Limited access to finance, markets, land, and enterprise support services continues to hinder youth participation and the scaling of agribusiness ventures.
During the session, Rwanda’s Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Telesphore Ndabamenye, challenged young people to rethink agriculture—not just as farming, but as a pathway to wealth creation, food security, and employment.
“You cannot market what you do not have,” the minister said, stressing the need to prioritize food production before profit. “In the food systems journey, we must first secure food. From food comes cash, and from cash come jobs.”
He further urged young people to take a more proactive role in transforming the sector, noting that while development partners are supporting youth initiatives, sustainable change must be driven by the youth themselves.
“Partners such as AGRA and the Mastercard Foundation are already supporting youth initiatives, but young people must step forward and play a bigger role. We want youth to help produce healthy food for our populations. When food systems are strong, the economy becomes stronger,” he added.
Speaking at the event, Ifeoma Chuks-Adizue, Managing Director for Africa at Global Citizen, said the dialogue provided a critical platform for amplifying youth voices in agriculture. She emphasized the need for organisations to better understand and address the challenges faced by young agripreneurs.
“We need to understand the challenges they face as Global Citizens and as AGRA so that we can help them achieve their goals,” she said.
Chuks-Adizue added that Global Citizen is collaborating with AGRA through a grant focused on tackling food and nutrition challenges while advancing job creation.
“One major issue is food and nutrition, which is a priority for AGRA. At Global Citizen, job creation is also a key focus this year. This event was organised to foster an open and honest conversation among young people already making an impact in the agriculture space,” she noted.
Also speaking, Nana Yaa Boakyewaa Amoah, AGRA’s Director for Gender, Youth and Inclusiveness, underscored the central role of youth in transforming Africa’s food systems.
“We want to bring more young people on board in shaping Africa’s food future,” she said. “Young people are not just beneficiaries—they are innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders within the food system.”
Through its Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture (YEFFA) initiative and related programmes, AGRA supports youth-led agribusiness development by strengthening the enabling ecosystem. This includes expanding access to skills training, business development services, market linkages, and financing, while also engaging policymakers to create a more supportive environment for agribusiness growth.
In Rwanda, these interventions are already yielding measurable results. Youth-led enterprises supported through YEFFA have created 12,248 work opportunities across agri-food value chains, while 649 youth with disabilities have been integrated into agriculture and agribusiness.
Young participants at the dialogue also highlighted the importance of platforms that connect youth with policymakers and investors. Lydia Murekatete of All Greens described the session as both motivating and action-oriented.
“Don’t just talk about it—be about it,” she said.
Similarly, Evariste Sibobugingo, co-founder of Igisubizo Ltd, noted that the dialogue fostered idea exchange and confidence-building among young entrepreneurs.
“This dialogue builds our confidence, opens our minds, and allows us to share experiences with other young people,” he said.
The Kigali dialogue comes at a pivotal moment for Africa’s food systems agenda. This year marks 20 years of AGRA’s work in strengthening agricultural systems across the continent, alongside a renewed push to scale proven models that improve farmer incomes and expand enterprise opportunities across food value chains.
At the continental level, the African Union’s Kampala CAADP Declaration and the CAADP Strategy 2026–2035 place agri-food systems transformation at the centre of Africa’s economic development agenda.
Additionally, 2026 has been designated the UN International Year of the Woman Farmer, recognising the critical role women play as producers, entrepreneurs, and leaders across agricultural value chains.
