Youth leadership took the spotlight at the 2025 World Food Forum flagship event in Rome, where the WFF Africa National Chapters convened a high-impact panel on building coordinated, youth-led movements to transform the continent’s agrifood future. Held on 16 October at the FAO headquarters, the session brought together representatives from 15 African chapters, from Ghana and Kenya to Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and South Africa.
The discussion underscored a unifying message: African youth are no longer passive beneficiaries of development—they are shaping policy, driving innovation, and orchestrating action at community and continental levels. Opening the event, Sabin Lamichhane of the WFF Office of Youth and Women praised the chapters for evolving into “catalysts of implementation and impact.”
Speakers spotlighted key priorities for strengthening youth agency. Ghana’s Philippa Mensah called for deeper gender inclusion, urging policies that move women from symbolic representation to real decision-making power in agrifood governance. South Africa’s Kitso Monyadi emphasised the need for accountability systems, succession planning, and grassroots empowerment, noting that inclusivity boosts both credibility and access to funding.
Nigeria’s Azeez Salawu pushed for stronger partnerships across governments, youth organisations, and private actors, insisting that “Africa’s development narrative must be written through unity.” Ghana’s Anthony Adioo echoed this, urging structural pathways for young professionals to influence policy now—not later.
Speakers from Cameroon, Egypt, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Kenya, The Gambia, and Côte d’Ivoire added perspectives on education, digital connectivity, indigenous knowledge, monitoring systems, and regional integration. Proposals ranged from a pan-African digital platform for youth chapters to an “Erasmus for Africa” mobility programme and the creation of youth advisory councils at AU and regional levels.
The event closed with a symbolic Hand-in-Hand Beads Ceremony and Commitment Badge Signing, led by FAO Senior Programme Officer Reuben Sessa, reinforcing unity and shared purpose. FAO’s Elena Kuravtseva commended the chapters’ collective energy, stressing that “when African youth work together, they don’t just create change—they multiply it.”
Drawing the threads together, Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, Co-Coordinator of the Africa Side Event, called for turning commitments into measurable action. Proposals included a regional coordination office, youth exchange schemes, sustainability education in school curricula, and innovation grants for community projects.
With renewed determination, the WFF Africa Chapters reaffirmed their role as a united, youth-driven force reshaping Africa’s agrifood systems—one coordinated action, one chapter, and one measurable impact at a time.
Story: Effah Mensah
