Young Agripreneurs Power Africa’s Future at AfDB 2025 Meetings
Young agripreneurs are being hailed as the driving force behind Africa’s agricultural transformation, as the African Development Bank (AfDB) spotlighted their innovations at its 2025 Annual Meetings.
The “Mobilizing Africa’s Agripreneurs” side event, held on 26 May, showcased the transformative impact of the Bank’s ENABLE Youth program, which has empowered over 100,000 youth and supported the creation of 240,000 jobs across 18 African countries.
Among the featured speakers was 30-year-old Ivorian entrepreneur Koffi Amani François Xavier, founder of the “Mon Chips” brand, who turned a $100 startup into a multinational potato chip supplier.
Xavier, an AgriPitch competition winner, credited the ENABLE Youth program for equipping him with the skills and resources to scale up.
His company, Etoduma SARL, now processes 50 tons of chips annually, employs 26 people—80% of them women—and is present in four countries.
“Agriculture offers the largest scale and quickest wins for youth employment,” said Dr. Beth Dunford, AfDB Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development. “That’s why the ENABLE Youth Program was launched in 2016—to help young Africans build agribusinesses that feed the continent and create jobs.”
The session also explored plans for ENABLE Youth 2.0, a scaled-up initiative focusing on inclusive finance, climate resilience, and enhanced market access. The Bank reaffirmed its commitment to youth-led agriculture through initiatives like the AgriPitch Competition and the African Youth Agripreneur Forum.
