The World Food Forum (WFF) African Chapters will host a high-level thematic dialogue on youth leadership and agrifood transformation during the 2025 World Food Forum Flagship Event, scheduled to take place from October 10–17, 2025, at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Headquarters in Rome, Italy.
The session, slated for Thursday ,october 16,2025 ,under the theme “How Do We Develop, Implement, and Build Youth-Led Movements to Take Charge, Drive Actions, and Make an Impact — WFF Africa Chapters as the Catalyst”, will bring together representatives from across the African continent to explore strategies on how to drive impactful actions and create lasting change within Africa’s agrifood systems .
Through this high-level dialogue, the WFF African Chapters aim to strengthen inter-country collaboration, build a unified youth policy advocacy framework, and establish actionable roadmaps for scaling youth-led initiatives across Africa. The discussions are expected to lead to concrete recommendations for integrating young leaders into national and continental agrifood policies, while promoting innovation-driven agribusinesses and climate-smart practices.
The chapters also hope to foster mentorship linkages between experienced agricultural professionals and emerging youth leaders, expand digital innovation networks, and secure greater investment commitments toward youth agripreneurship. By doing so, they seek to ensure that Africa’s youth are not only participants but also decision-makers in shaping the continent’s food and agricultural future.
Forming part of the 2025 WFF Global Youth Forum, the dialogue is one of the key highlights of this year’s global gathering, as it amplifies Africa’s collective voice in discussions on food systems transformation. The event will unite representatives from countries including Rwanda, Senegal, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Zambia, Egypt, Cameroon, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Gambia.
At the core of the discussions will be the challenges and opportunities facing Africa’s youth in the agrifood sector. Participants will examine systemic barriers that limit access to leadership, financing, and resources, while highlighting strategies to empower young innovators to play active roles in transforming agriculture. The session will focus on identifying practical solutions and strengthening policy frameworks that enable young people to transition from small-scale farming to sustainable agribusinesses.
The dialogue will also emphasize Africa’s demographic advantage, with its rapidly growing youth population aged between 25 and 35, as a key driver of agricultural transformation. With the right mentorship, digital access, and supportive ecosystems, these young Africans are poised to lead the continent toward sustainable food security and climate resilience.
Over the years, the WFF Africa Chapters have evolved into powerful youth-led platforms driving innovation, advocacy, and collaboration across the continent. Through coordinated national initiatives, they have inspired and mobilized thousands of young people to take active roles in promoting sustainable food systems, climate-smart agriculture, and agritech entrepreneurship. The WFF Africa Chapter’s Side Event will showcase this collective energy, exploring how young Africans are shaping inclusive, resilient, and technology-driven agrifood systems across the continent.
The event will feature a distinguished line-up of WFF African representatives and panelists, with a majority joining in person in Rome, including Christine Karanja, National Chapter Lead of WFF Kenya and advocate for youth inclusion in agrifood policies; Anthony Aidoo, Steering Committee Chairperson of WFF Ghana, and Phillipa Mensah, Director for Women, Gender, and Social Protection at WFF Ghana, who continues to champion gender equity in food systems.
Other in-person speakers include Alhaji Alusine Kebe, Global Coordinator of WFF Sierra Leone; Asia Ibrahim Mohammed, Education Coordinator for WFF Egypt; Azeez Salawu, Founder of the Community Action for Food Security in Nigeria; Nakita Aboya from Cameroon; Musa Juwara from Gambia;Dr Katushabe Rcheal Arinda from Uganda ,Joseph Niyomukia from Rwanda;and Mame Mbeugue Sow from Senegal.
Joining virtually will be Mirim Nchimbi from Tanzania, Cinderella Ndlovu from Zimbabwe, Tshiamo Dichabe from South Africa, Sahko Ibrahim from Senegal, and Almamy chouaibou Diagana from Mauritania, who will contribute to the discussion remotely, reinforcing the inclusivity and continent-wide collaboration that define the WFF Africa movement.
Moderating the discussions will be Mr. Sabin Lamichhane, Head of Local Youth Action at FAO’s Office of Youth and Women, alongside Mr. Caesar N. Vulley, FAO Regional Youth Employment Specialist for Africa and Coordinator of the Opportunities for Youth in Africa (OYA) Programme.
Nakita Aboya,WFF Cameroon Chapter
Mame Mbeugue Sow ,WFF Senegal Chapter
Tshiamo Dichabe,WFF South Africa Chapter
Dr Katushabe Racheal Arinda,WFF Uganda Chapter
Miriam Nchimbi,WFF Tanzania Chapter
Almamy Chouaibou Diagana, WFF Mauritania Chapter
COMMITMENT TO ACT: A Symbolic Youth Leadership Initiative
According to Ms. Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, the Co-Coordinator of the session, all panellists will make a Commitment to Act, a symbolic pledge of dedication to advancing youth-led action within Africa’s agrifood systems.,”
Each panellist will inscribe a personal message of commitment, a declaration of the role we intend to play in shaping the future of our agrifood systems. Together, we will capture this powerful moment as a collective reminder that our actions matter. She stated
WFF Africa ‘working hand in hand symbolic bead’’
the session will also include the presentation of WFF Africa ‘Working Hand in Hand’ symbolic beads, to all panelist as a representation of unity and resilience of the African chapters to transform the agrifood systems in their countries and Africa as a whole.
ABOUT THE WORLD FOOD FORUM FLAGSHIP EVENT
The World Food Forum Flagship Event is an annual youth-led global platform established by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. It brings together young leaders, policymakers, researchers, entrepreneurs, and cultural ambassadors from around the world to co-create solutions that accelerate the transformation of global agrifood systems and advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The 2025 edition, to be held from October 10–17 at FAO Headquarters in Rome, under the theme “Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future,” will feature youth assemblies, innovation labs, cultural showcases, and policy dialogues. With Africa’s youth taking a central role, this year’s event promises to deepen global understanding of the continent’s potential and growing leadership in shaping the future of food security, sustainability, and climate action.
