Dr. Namanga Ngongi presented on AGRA's vision of an agricultural renaissance in Africa led by young agricultural professionals and entrepreneurs. He acknowledged the potential of young Africans as agents of transformation, but also outlined obstacles they face like low education, lack of access to assets, training, markets, and their exclusion from policy discussions. AGRA is working to train a new generation through university and hands-on programs, and support innovative extension, seed companies, agro-dealers, and financing partnerships to create opportunities for youth in agriculture and food security. The goal is to leverage $4 billion in commercial financing for smallholders and young entrepreneurs.
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Young People's Role in Africa's Agricultural Revolution
1. The Role of Young People in Africa’s
Agricultural Revolution
Dr. Namanga Ngongi, President of AGRA
at the
Young People Farming and Food Conference
March 19-21, 2012
Accra, Ghana
2. AGRA’s vision- Forward looking …
o “A food secure and prosperous Africa through rapid
smallholder agricultural growth and transformation”;
o An agricultural renaissance, a vision of a food secure and
economically prosperous Africa;
o Marshaling the capacities of a new generation of
agricultural professionals and entrepreneurs across the
food/ agricultural value chain;
o Acknowledging the potential of young men and women as
active agents in the transformation of Africa’s agriculture.
3. Young people in the agri-economy:
Obstacles and constraints
• Low education and literacy levels;
• Access to assets and financial resources;
• Access to extension and vocational training;
• Access to agricultural/rural markets;
• Exclusion in policy discussions and instituted
policies.
4. Training of a new generation of agricultural
professionals
5. Practical hands-on skills
University of Ghana (WACCI students) Moi University student on farm trials
Kwame Nkrumah students planting Haramaya student in the laboratory
6. Working with Farmers
Moi University (Kenya) students and professors working with
farmers
on farmers fields
7. Innovative approach to training and extension
programs
3000 Extension Workers
200 Laboratory Technicians
+300 Seed entrepreneurs
+300 MSc
132 PhDs
9. New dynamism in the private sector:
Africa’s small and medium seed companies
10. Agro-Dealers Trained in Business
Management
13,859
14000
12000
No. of Agro-Dealers Trained
9339
10000
7601
8000
6000
4000 2,634
2000
331
0
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
(Baseline)
11. Other opportunities for young professionals
• Training, Capacity building and financing
in
• Post –harvest processing including value
addition
• Market information
• Service provision- tractor
ploughing, spraying etc
12. Innovative Financing Partnerships with Commercial Banks: $160 Million
Leveraged into Agriculture
– Excess liquidity exists in financial markets
• Need to reduce risk of lending to agriculture, especially for young
people
• Need loan guarantees to leverage commercial banks
• AGRA is spearheading successful risk sharing arrangements
• to leverage financing for smallholder farmers and young
entrepreneurs in Africa
– Kenya: $50 million from the
Equity Bank
– $100 million from Standard
Bank
(Uganda, Tanzania, Mozamb
ique, Ghana)
– Nigeria; $300 million for
NISARL ($3 billion)
– Impact Investment funds
– AGRA’s goal: leverage $ 4
billion commercial financing 12
13. Cumulative volume of loans to farmers and SMEs
under AGRA risk sharing facilities
AGRA Innovative Finance Loan volume (US$ m) (2011)
30
39,238 SHFs
25
20
15
66,449 SHFs 24,848 SHFs 966 ADs
10
72,053 SHFs
5
4,514 SHFs
0
Kenya Uganda Tanzania Mozambique Ghana Tanzania (NMB)
(Stanbic)
Editor's Notes
There is increasingfocus on young people and farming at this watershed moment in Africa’s development when agriculture has been “re-discovered” as the fundamental driver of the continent’s economic and social transformation; Poor participation of young people in farming and the agri-economy threatens the future of agriculture and rural economic transformation on the continent.
vision of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) is a deeply exciting one…it is of an agricultural renaissance…
Young people in rural areas, especially the women, are often disadvantaged with low levels education and literacy; often have fewer opportunities for gainful employment in farming and non-farm rural agricultural livelihoods;Fewer chances to obtain capital or credit and assets; not enjoy the benefits of new technology and lack information and technical skills.
Key need is investment in higher education—not just for the agricultural sciences, but for training in business, marketing, finance, policymaking and engineering, to create new generations of professionals who can build Africa’s agro-industrial capacity. There should be a strong focus on preparing an employable society…
AGRA’s unique training strategy is making impressive strides toward producing the next generation of young African plant breeders, soil scientists and technicians adequately prepared to tackle the specific challenges peculiar to Africa’s complex and diverse ecologies…
A significant number of them young men and women, are being nurtured through entrepreneurship training, and mentored through close monitoring by seasoned professionals in business development…
innovative financing options to free up essential credit to support agricultural entrepreneurs many of who are young men and women; includes credit for smallholder farmers, agro-dealers and agricultural enterprises across the value chain. ..