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| ITA Youth Agripreneurs learning how to work in the field. Credit: IITA |
The African Development Bank (AfDB) together with the
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is embarking on the
initiative “Jobs for Youth in Africa”, aimed to put an end to youth
unemployment in the continent by creating 8 million agribusiness jobs within
five years.
The president of the AfDB, a former Nigerian minister of
agriculture, Akinwumi Adesina visited the Agripreneurs training centre at IITA
today, and reiterated his commitment to the initiative.
Under Adesina’s leadership the AfDB has extended support to
African youth through the IITA Youth Agripreneurs program that will be scaling
up the model of youth engagement in agribusiness. In recognition of his
continuous support and commitment to the cause of African youth, IITA will be
preserving Adesina’s legacy by naming after him the state-of-the-art youth
training centre at IITA headquarters in Ibadan and in Abuja, Nigeria.
The training centres and facilities provided by the AfDB and the
IITA will assist African youths to take on work in the agricultural sector. The
initiative also seeks to encourage the many unemployed African youths to become
involved in agriculture in order to make it a driving force for development in
Africa.
“There is no reason for Africa to spend USD 35 billion importing
food when the continent could feed itself”
Nigeria is not the only African country with high youth
unemployment. Youth unemployment in South Africa was estimated at51.5 percent
in 2014; Namibia 40.1 percent; and Algeria 28.4 percent. Three in every five
young workers in Sub-Saharan Africa do not have the level of education required
for them to compete in the job market.
The AfDB president set forth his five development priorities for
the institution when he took office in September 2015. One of these priorities
is the ‘Feed Africa’ initiative, an agricultural transformation strategy that
aims to unlock Africa’s agricultural potential. The strategy also aims to boost
job creation with the view of making the agriculture sector profitable and a
starting point for industrialization. With the ‘Feed Africa’ strategy, Africa
would be able to feed itself and reduce net food importation by 2025.
“There is no reason for Africa to spend USD 35 billion importing
food when the continent could feed itself, said Adesina, adding Africa must
become a global powerhouse in food and agriculture.” And indeed, it could.
Africa disposes of some 400 million hectares of agricultural land, waiting to
be cultivated. However, different laws, regulations, policies and institutions
applying to each African country make it hard for local farmers to access
seeds, modern technology and equipment, and to transport their goods in order
to sell them on the market.
In order to make the agricultural sector in Africa profitable,
it needs to be transformed. African countries need to increase trade amongst
each other, maximising their production and getting the food to where it is
needed, instead of buying it from outside the continent. Removing barriers to
regional trade will benefit farmers, who will make more money from the rising
demand, as well as consumers, who are able to buy food cheaper and have more
job opportunities by engaging in the growing agriculture sector. In order to
unlock Africa’s large agricultural potential, African governments need to take
collective action and produce a set of common rules, standards and taxes.
Lifting the barriers to food trade could not only increase Africa’s production,
eventually becoming able to feed itself, but could also contribute to decrease
the high youth unemployment and give millions of young women and men a future
in which they are able to sustain themselves.
Source: IPS
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