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.

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

8. Rural Agro Entrepreneurship – huge potential for
young people

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)