Young leaders from across West Africa are actively working to transform regional agriculture and food value chains.
At a recent high-level forum in Banjul, The Gambia, they focused on resilience, inclusion, and climate-smart practices.
The two-day event, organised by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and the Community Action Platform on Environment and Development (CAPED), was themed “Feeding the Future: Youth-Led Solutions for Resilient and Inclusive Food Systems.”
The program, which was supported by the Mastercard Foundation under the Youth Empowerment for Food and Farming in Africa (YEFFA) program, attracted over 60 youth leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators from The Gambia, Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea-Conakry, Senegal, and Cameroon.
This forum aimed to amplify youth voices, strengthen regional collaboration and promote youth-led strategies for agricultural transformation.
Papia Badjie Sanyang, Director of Urban Agriculture at the Gambian Ministry of Agriculture, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to empowering young people in agriculture, emphasising the need for investment and technical support, particularly for women and youth.
Momodou Inkeh Bah, Executive Director of CAPED, noted the criticality of youth representation in shaping agriculture’s future and pointed out ongoing challenges like limited access to land, finance, and modern farming technologies.
Fatoumata Marong, Assistant Executive Director of CAPED, described the forum as a pivotal moment for youth leadership, noting that such platforms are essential for elevating young voices and solutions.
The forum’s outcome will include the development of a Youth Position Paper outlining priorities, aspirations, and policy recommendations from the participants, aimed at influencing agricultural policy discussions at national, regional, and global levels.
Alhagie S. Cham, Senior Programme Officer at the Association of NGOs (TANGO), called for increased collaboration to support youth development initiatives, stating, “When we support each other, we strengthen our collective ability to bring about meaningful change.”
He expressed optimism that the Banjul forum’s outcomes would shape future dialogues on food security, youth empowerment, and sustainable development across Africa.
