Today marks the beginning of the second Annual African Youth Forum, organized by the World Bank Group- IMF Young African Society (YAS). The Second Annual Youth Forum brings together young, innovative entrepreneurs and experts to crowdsource solutions to real-life development issues in Africa, attend career-building and leadership workshops and participate in a development case competition.
My role in the conference is two-pronged. First, I represent the World Bank Youth to Youth community that I serve on the steering committee as one of the three partnerships & events co-chairs. Second I am here as a Forum Organizing Committee member and YAS Embassy Outreach team. The WWBG-IMF Young African society steering committee comprises World Bank Group- International Monetary Fund (IMF) African youth-staff. This year’s forum has the following crosscutting areas, Education, Employment, and Entrepreneurship. The cross-cutting areas (Agribusiness, Energy & Extractives, Infrastructure, Telecommunications, and Light manufacturing) match the following thematic areas used to divide forum attendees into teams.
It fills me with great joy that I have been chosen to be the thematic leader for the Agribusiness team made up of 26 youth, some older and younger than I am. Agribusiness and a comprehensive approach to strengthening the value chain are important if Africa meets its economic forecasts as an emerging market economy. According to Jamal Saghir, World Bank Director for Sustainable Development in Africa, “Improving Africa’s agriculture and agribusiness sectors mean higher incomes and more jobs. It also allows Africa to compete globally. Today, Brazil, Indonesia, and Thailand each export more food products than all sub-Saharan Africa combined. This must change”.
Youth on the continent is ready to participate and empower others through education, employment, and entrepreneurship in the Agribusiness sector. On a personal note, this is my first time on the continent since I left for the United States twenty years ago. It’s a bittersweet feeling that I am looking to shift to euphoria by actively engaging with my team and working hard to produce a thematic report that can influence future development initiatives in Agribusiness on the African continent. Disclaimer: The views expressed on this site are my own and do not reflect those of The World Bank Group or its clients.
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