Youth Take Center Stage as Africa Food Systems Forum Kicks Off with Call to Action

Addis Ababa, September 2, 2025 (ENA) -- The Africa Food Systems Forum 2025 is underway in Dakar, Senegal, with a resounding call to place youth at the very heart of agricultural transformation.

Inside the packed Auditorium, heads of state, global leaders, innovators, and young entrepreneurs gathered for the start of a week-long summit designed to reshape the continent’s agri-food future.

In his keynote, Senegal’s President, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, welcomed more than six thousand delegates from eighty countries, including over two thousand youth.

 

He reaffirmed his government’s commitment to youth-led innovation, citing Senegal’s Community Agricultural Cooperative as a model for empowering the next generation.

With determination, he declared, “We have the means to feed our children and the world. Let us unite our will, mobilize our resources, and make food systems the engine of an African renaissance founded on dignity, sovereignty, and shared development.”

Hailemariam Desalegn, Chair of AGRA and former Prime Minister of Ethiopia, reinforced this vision. He reminded delegates that Africa’s food future depends on aligning political will, financial capital, and the energy of its youth.

 

“Africa’s food systems will only transform when we align political will, financial capital, and the energy of our youth,” he said, urging governments to take decisive steps toward domestic financing and youth-driven innovation.

Alice Ruhweza, President of AGRA, added urgency to the call. She stressed that this Forum must go beyond dialogue. “This is a call to accelerate our collective commitment to strengthen Africa’s food systems,” she noted, pointing to encouraging progress by farmers, women leaders, and young agripreneurs. Yet her words carried a stark reminder: hunger still grips hundreds of millions worldwide, with Africa bearing the greatest burden. “We cannot grow what we do not fund,” she cautioned.

 

The energy peaked during the Youth Town Hall, where five remarkable young leaders engaged directly with President Faye and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda.

Siny Samba, CEO of Le Lionceau, called for deeper investment in youth-led agribusiness. Moustapha Sy Ndiaye, founder of Maraz, urged for digital integration. Claudia Senghor of AGROBABE pressed for stronger market access for women farmers. Fahima Mohamed Ismael, founder of CarroMaal, highlighted the power of digital literacy to connect farmers and consumers. And Adja Boudy Kante, CEO of Cereal House, called for greater investment in food processing to elevate Africa as a global powerhouse.

 

Both presidents responded with commitment, acknowledging the demands of the youth and promising to expand policy and financial support.

President Kagame captured the spirit of the exchange: “Africa’s future belongs to those bold enough to innovate, and our role as leaders is to clear the path for them.”

 

As the Opening Ceremony drew to a close, the message was clear: AFSF 2025 is not about declarations, but about action. Leaders pledged to strengthen intra-African trade, mobilize investment, and ensure women and youth remain central to transformation.

President Faye’s closing words echoed across the hall: “This is not just a conference. It is a movement. Together, we can build the Africa we want—an Africa that feeds itself and the world.”