by Dr. Canisius Kanangire
August 12, 2025
The International Youth Day, that is celebrated on 12 August every year, challenges us to reflect on the realities facing Africa’s young people, and to imagine bolder, smarter ways to unlock their potential. According to the World Economic Forum, across the African continent, more than 60% of the population is under the age of 25, yet youth unemployment remains one of our most pressing socio-economic challenges. Agriculture, Africa’s oldest and most essential industry, holds the key to changing this narrative. However, it will take a new approach: one that blends innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship to transform farming into a dynamic career choice for this generation and the upcoming.
As we commemorate this year’s International Youth Day, there is need to highlight the untapped potential of young people in driving employment and innovation within the agricultural sector. This sector remains one of the largest and most promising sources of work for youth, particularly in regions where land and natural resources are abundant but underutilized. By reimagining farming as a modern, tech-enabled, and profitable career path, young “agripreneurs” can shift the narrative from subsistence to enterprise. From drone-assisted crop monitoring to climate-smart irrigation systems, technology is transforming agriculture into a dynamic space where youth can lead the charge in increasing productivity, boosting incomes, and strengthening food security.
At AATF, we believe agricultural technologies (agtech being one of them), can be a powerful lever for youth employment. Through our initiatives that range from the development and dissemination of climate smart seed varieties for maize, rice and cowpea, our policy work to support the creation of an enabling environment for the development and commercialization of innovative agricultural technologies, mechanization and agroprocessing and the development of climate smart decision tools for use by farmers, among others, AATF is demonstrating that innovation in seed systems, mechanization, and biotechnology can improve productivity, increase incomes, and create jobs along the value chain. These projects are not only tackling Africa’s food security challenges but are also rich platforms for youth engagement.
While each project integrates youth in different ways, from training in good agronomic practices to supporting small-scale seed enterprises, AATF is deliberately advancing a strategic agenda to position agricultural technology as a direct solution to youth unemployment. This means looking beyond traditional roles in farming and envisioning tapping into new opportunities in digital agriculture, seed production and distribution, mechanization services, and value-added agribusiness.
We know this vision cannot be achieved alone. This is why AATF is actively engaging partners who are already implementing youth programs in Agri Tech, climate adaptation, food systems and technology access programs. For instance, our partnership with Michigan State University’s WorldTAP program is just one example of how we can merge technical innovation with youth entrepreneurship and leadership development. The Foundation is developing creative concept notes and mobilizing resources to launch a dedicated, youth-focused program within AATF, one that will scale the impact of our existing projects while intentionally empowering Africa’s young innovators, job seekers, and change-makers.
This International Youth Day, we call on governments, private sector players, investors, and development partners to join us in removing barriers such as lack of access to credit, markets and land that keep young people from fully participating in agriculture and co-create pathways for them to venture and thrive in agricultural technology. Access to land, affordable credit, markets, and vocational training are critical to ensuring youth can create not just jobs for themselves, but for others as well. The potential is staggering with the right investments, the very innovations that are increasing yields for smallholder farmers can also generate millions of jobs in Africa’s fastest-growing sector.
For Africa’s youth, agriculture does not have to be a story of subsistence, it can be a story of invention, entrepreneurship, and prosperity. At AATF, we are committed to making that story a reality. Because when young people lead in agtech, they will not just feed the continent, they will power its future.
The author is the Executive Director, African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF)
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