Africa agricultural potential has been touted as having the ability to unlock agricultural excellence and a sustainable future for the continent, leading in the production of crops such as cassava, cashew nuts, cowpea, tea, plantain, okra and others.
This was highlighted by the managing partner at Sahel Consulting Agriculture and Nutrition Ltd, Temitope Adegoroye.
Adegoroye made the admission during the virtual Sahel Scholars Conference on Agriculture and Nutrition, themed “Nourishing Tomorrow: Youth-Driven Solutions for Sustainable Food Security.” The event brought together undergraduates from universities across Africa to discuss the continent’s agricultural future.
The managing partner emphasised that over 50 per cent of Africa’s population is involved in agriculture, with 80 per cent of the continent’s food produced by smallholder farmers. Remarkably, 60 per cent of the world’s arable land is in Africa and 70 per cent of the world’s cocoa comes from West Africa. However, despite these impressive statistics, food insecurity remains a significant challenge across the continent.
“[Currently] 20 per cent of Africa’s population is facing acute food insecurity,” Adegoroye stated, pointing out that the major factors contributing to this crisis include climate change, gender inequality and poor regulatory environments. He stressed the need for Africa to focus on equality, engage the youth and embrace technological innovation to tackle the challenges of food insecurity.
Adegoroye called for more youth involvement in agriculture, noting that young entrepreneurs are already making strides in addressing food insecurity through financial inclusion, advisory services, market linkages, supply chain management and macro-agricultural sector intelligence. “We need more youth entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs in the driver’s seat,” he asserted.
To drive change, Adegoroye recommended several steps for African youth: building strong partnerships, supporting local food products, telling positive stories about African agriculture, finding mentors, joining vibrant networks of youth entrepreneurs and changing their mindset about the potential of Africa’s growing agricultural and food ecosystem.
He also highlighted the importance of creating the right environment to engage more young people in agriculture, especially with Africa’s population expected to rise to 2.5 billion by 2050. “We must ensure that the necessary conditions are in place to promote agricultural technology and innovation,” he said.
Nigeria’s Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande also addressed the conference, urging African youth to come together as problem-solvers to tackle food insecurity. “A youth must have the skills to develop our local government areas and the country at large,” he emphasised.
Helen Okoti, a representative from Sahel Consulting, explained that the organisation is dedicated to transforming Africa’s agriculture and nutrition landscape.
Established in 2010, Sahel Consulting aims to build effective and efficient value chains and achieve food security through capacity building and the implementation of humanitarian projects.
Additionally, the Sahel Scholars Programme (SASP) seeks to educate and empower undergraduate students in agriculture and related fields through mentorship, hands-on experience and scholarship opportunities.
Founder and director of Songhai Centre, Father Godfrey Nzamujo discussed the evolution of agriculture since World War II, particularly the rise of conventional agriculture marked by intensive chemical use. While this approach has significantly boosted global food production, Nzamujo argued that Africa must now embrace a new worldview for a sustainable future.
“To meet the demands of a rapidly growing population, economic activities must increase exponentially—perhaps tenfold—while simultaneously reducing their environmental impact by twenty-fold,” Nzamujo explained. He emphasised that this challenge presents vast opportunities for creativity and innovation.
Nzamujo concluded by highlighting the importance of sustainable development, which allows for increased productivity while protecting and enriching the environment. “By developing and implementing sustainable technologies, we empower our agricultural sectors to produce more and better with fewer resources,” he said.
