Keypoints:
- Semele calls for youth-led CAADP structures
- Tech inclusion for disabled youth prioritised
- 10% of budgets urged for agripreneurship
A LEADING policy expert has called on African governments to embed youth at the centre of the continent’s agricultural policy framework under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). Speaking at a high-level stakeholder engagement on the domestication of the Kampala CAADP Declaration, Dr Baboloki Semele urged a decisive shift in how young people are integrated into agricultural planning and implementation.
Dr Semele, a youth and gender advocate and expert validator with the African Union’s High-Level Panel on Emerging Technologies (APET) and a regular contributor to Africa Briefing, warned that Africa cannot achieve food security or sustainable development if its largest demographic remains sidelined. His remarks come as AU member states prepare to operationalise the post-Malabo CAADP commitments outlined in the Kampala Declaration adopted in 2025.
‘Youth must no longer be seen as passive recipients but as co-creators of Africa’s food systems,’ he said. ‘We must move them from the margins of policy to the epicentre of planning, implementation, and accountability.’
Mandatory seats for youth in agri-decision spaces
Dr Semele’s proposals begin with a structural overhaul. He called for the mandatory inclusion of youth in national CAADP steering committees, technical working groups, and Joint Sector Reviews (JSRs). He recommended the creation of ‘Youth CAADP Focal Points’ in every country to coordinate young people’s involvement in programme design and oversight.
With over 60 percent of Africa’s population under 25, and projections showing youth will make up 75% of the labour force by 2035, Dr Semele stressed that failing to institutionalise youth input would be a ‘strategic blunder’.
‘Without structural representation, we risk designing policies that are out of step with the realities of the continent’s majority population,’ he said.
Tech inclusion for disabled youth in agriculture
A central theme of Dr Semele’s presentation was the inclusive use of technology to empower youth with disabilities. He called for cross-ministerial collaboration to design tech-enabled agriculture programmes that are accessible to all young people, including those marginalised by physical or cognitive disabilities.
Innovations such as voice-activated farming apps, AI-powered navigation tools, and smart prosthetics were spotlighted as enablers of dignity and productivity. Semele urged governments to finance targeted training, adaptive equipment, and access to digital agri-enterprise platforms for disabled youth.
‘These are not just innovations—they are entry points to economic independence for young people living with disabilities,’ he said.
Transparency through youth-led data platforms
To enhance accountability in agricultural policy, Dr Semele proposed the creation of youth-run CAADP Virtual Information Centres—regional or national platforms to monitor government spending, project rollouts, and performance against CAADP targets.
He envisions the platforms offering dashboards, newsletters, hotlines, and scorecards that allow young citizens to track government commitments and drive grassroots participation. Youth-led monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems, developed in partnership with universities and agri-tech incubators, would provide real-time tracking of nutrition indicators, market flows, and crop yields.
‘When youth generate and interpret data, they become co-authors of policy,’ he stated. He also proposed community data labs where young people can analyse localised information for use in county or national-level agricultural plans.
Reviving indigenous food systems and green jobs
Dr Semele advocated for the integration of traditional African crops—such as millet, morama beans, and sorghum—into national food policies, citing their nutritional value and climate resilience. He encouraged youth-led branding, packaging, and export initiatives to commercialise these indigenous foods.
‘Traditional food is not outdated,’ he said. ‘It is a cultural asset that youth can transform into viable business ventures.’
To drive awareness, he suggested national campaigns, school programmes, and community cooking events to showcase the environmental and health benefits of local crops.
For those not directly involved in farming, Dr Semele highlighted the AfCFTA Youth Trade Scouts Programme as a way to connect young people to non-land-based agricultural jobs. He called for its integration into national trade and entrepreneurship strategies.
‘With the right training, youth can support SMEs in navigating digital marketing, compliance, and cross-border trade—roles that are essential to strengthening Africa’s food value chains,’ he said.
10% budget call for youth agripreneurs
To deliver on these ambitions, Dr Semele proposed a ringfencing of at least 10 percent of national agricultural budgets for youth-focused agripreneurship initiatives. These funds would support innovation hubs, access to credit, land, and contract farming models that link youth to input providers, extension services, and market opportunities.
He also advocated for the expansion of graduate placement programmes, out-grower schemes, and rural internships to bridge the skills-employment gap.
‘Every dollar we invest in youth agripreneurship is a dollar towards peace, resilience, and economic renewal,’ he noted.
Continental Youth for CAADP Movement urged
Dr Semele called for the formation of a Youth for CAADP Movement—a continent-wide network to popularise CAADP goals, track progress, and train young journalists, influencers, and community organisers as policy communicators.
‘Youth are not just a demographic; they are an intellectual and democratic force,’ he declared. ‘Leaving them out of Africa’s agricultural future is not just a policy gap—it is a failure of vision.’
As the African Union turns to its post-Malabo era, Dr Semele made a clear and urgent plea: youth inclusion in agricultural transformation is not optional—it is foundational.
