Africa stands at a pivotal moment in history, brimming with untapped potential, particularly in agriculture and agribusiness. Africa’s population is the fastest growing and youngest in the world, providing Africa a great opportunity for development and beyond. Africa’s median age is 18.8 years, according to Worldometer. By 2100, Africa’s youth will equal twice Europe’s entire population, and almost one-half of the world’s youth will be from Africa. Africa's youth represent the energy, innovation, capacity and determination required to bring about transformational change.

Despite the increase in the GDP of the African continent over the last decade, there is still a struggle to provide youth with employment opportunities and the skills to mentor, equip and empower youth for the local and global economy and market. By 2030, 30 million young people are expected to enter the African labor market each year. In sub-Saharan Africa alone, while 18 million new formal jobs would be needed annually to absorb new entries into the labor market, only 3 million are currently being created.

Agriculture and agribusiness are key both for economic growth and food security. In a continent where eight countries import 90% of their food demand -Botswana, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Gambia, Lesotho, Mauritania, Seychelles and Somalia, agriculture and agribusiness remain a strategic and employment-rich sector for Africa, and a critical solution to reduce youth unemployment and Africa’s dependency on food imports.