Event Date: Thursday, May 6, 2021
Time: 10:00am - 12:30pm (WAT/EST)
Event Address: Online (Zoom)
Contact us at: susdevadvocate@gmail.com

Population growth remains a constant and unchanged factor driving global food scarcity, particularly where there is no complimenting increase in agricultural produce outputs. The youth population in Africa stood at 225 million in 2015 (about 20% of the continent population)[1]. In 2019 almost 60% of Africa’s population were under 25 years[2]. This rapid growth is increasingly becoming a key priority on the continental development agenda[3].

The “youth bulge” poses challenges on the demand for qualitative education, training, employment and for food security but also tremendous cash-outs where positively and effectively harnessed. However, a pressing concern is the fact that this young population faces excessive challenges in society and in shaping their own futures. In many African countries and Nigeria particularly, the situation is very urgent. Nigeria’s youth are more often unemployed, the country’s education curriculum does not match with labour market demands. Young entrepreneurs have greater constraints in accessing land and finances.

The agricultural sector is still one of the sectors that offers most employment opportunities in general and for youth in particular. It is commonly said that youth are turning their backs on agriculture and that the sector should be made more attractive for youth. However, the agricultural sector is still constrained by factors including low farm productivity and profitability associated with the limited use of modern technology and poorly functioning rural institutions.  These constraints have both grave immediate consequences for the young generation and also for the future of Nigeria and other African countries in general.

Why the Dialogue?

Youth are often envisioned as the changemakers of this transition through Agri-entrepreneurial programs. But how can young people really be included in a trend that reinforces agricultural transformation in Nigeria and Africa while mainstreaming the gender parity? All these important issues and question are still on the table, and while recent policy debates have emphasized the urgency to start acting upon them, in many cases the knowledge needed to do so is fragmented.

In this second edition of our Independent Dialogues, we want to provide some new and practical insights to tackling the challenges of the agricultural sector, food security, youth unemployment and gender mainstreaming. It also looks at the extent to which current policies and programs are addressing these issues with the aim of stimulating forward-thinking and constructive dialogues and debate sin Nigeria and across Africa.