About 300 young agribusiness entrepreneurs from across Ghana have converged in Accra for a three-day National Youth Dialogue aimed at equipping them with the knowledge and skills to leverage opportunities under the African Agribusiness Youth Strategy (AAYS).
The dialogue, organized by Alliance for a Green Revolution Africa (AGRA), seeks to deepen participants’ understanding of the African Union’s continental agribusiness strategy while positioning young entrepreneurs to access regional and continental markets.
It also brings together policymakers, development partners, civil society organizations and government agencies to identify practical ways of integrating the AAYS into Ghana’s policies, programmes, budgets and institutional frameworks.
Speaking at the event, Co-founder of Achiever Foods Ltd, Millicent Adoboe, called on the government to ensure that young people become the primary beneficiaries of investments being made in the agricultural sector.
“Government is investing significantly in agriculture, but many young people still struggle to access financing, land, modern farming technologies and reliable markets. These barriers must be addressed if we are serious about tackling youth unemployment and strengthening food security.”
She noted that empowering young people with the resources needed to establish and expand agribusinesses would not only create jobs but also contribute significantly to Ghana’s agricultural transformation.
Ms. Adoboe further urged the government to simplify business registration processes for young entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), arguing that cumbersome registration procedures discourage many young people from formalising their businesses.
“We need a simpler and more efficient business registration system. Reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks will encourage more young entrepreneurs to formalise their businesses, attract investment and grow within the agribusiness sector.”
Participants at the dialogue also welcomed the initiative, describing it as a valuable platform for learning, networking and engaging policymakers on the challenges confronting youth-led agribusinesses.
Several participants called for improved access to affordable financing, mentorship, modern agricultural technologies and markets, stressing that such interventions would enable more young people to build sustainable agribusinesses and contribute to national development.
The National Youth Dialogue forms part of AGRA’s broader efforts to empower young people to participate meaningfully in Africa’s agricultural transformation by promoting innovation, entrepreneurship and inclusive policies that create sustainable employment opportunities in the agribusiness sector.
Ghana|Atinkaonline.com|Abigail Owusua Ahimah