Sowing Success: African Youth Return to the Land to Secure the Continent’s Future

Marie Diongue’s wealth is measured in feathers and clucks. On the cement floor of her poultry coop in northwestern Senegal, hundreds of white chickens strut and peck at their feed. For the 26-year-old, each bird represents independence and ambition.

“I do not depend on anyone anymore, I earn my living,” she says. She now manages a flock of 300 chickens and is determined to grow her business into thousands. “Agriculture is not a Plan B. It is a real path.”

For years, many young Africans did not see farming as their first choice. Limited access to information, resources, skills and finance often pushed them to seek jobs in towns and cities. However, a shift is underway. More young people, including university graduates, are returning to the land. They are finding opportunities in farming, livestock rearing and other rural professions, supported by initiatives such as the partnership between the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and the Mastercard Foundation.

Launched in 2022, the five-year programme aims to strengthen food systems and help young Africans secure jobs along the agricultural value chain. So far, 459,000 young people across eight African countries have benefited from training, access to markets, financing, inputs, networks and technology.

“This is what youth-led African agriculture looks like: vibrant, determined and full of promise,” says Margot van der Velden, Regional Director at WFP’s Western and Central Africa Regional Office.

Building resilience in Senegal and Mozambique

In the village of Bokhal near the Mauritanian border, Diongue grew up watching her mother raise chickens. She knew how to care for the birds but not how to run a business. Losses in money, time and motivation were common. Everything changed in 2024 when she joined the WFP-Mastercard Foundation project. She received a starter kit of chicks, feed, equipment and vaccines, alongside business management and marketing training.

Half a continent away in Mocuba, Mozambique, university students Aida António and Pinto Castigo Mbiza are also raising chickens. With support from the project, their poultry farm grew from 200 to 600 birds. António, 28, who studies agricultural economics and animal science, says their earnings are helping them pay for university. The pair aim to produce up to 30,000 chickens a year and sell nationwide. “We are young and motivated,” António says.

Empowering women in Ghana

In Ghana’s Northern Region, Bintu Zakaria had long dreamed of becoming an agricultural engineer. Poverty and family resistance stood in her way. Early marriage and motherhood followed, but she persevered, earning a degree from an agricultural college far from home. Through the project, Zakaria gained practical experience, a driver’s licence, and a job repairing machines and providing engineering services to local food processors. “It made me realise my dream,” she says.

Growing opportunity in Kenya

For Kenyan farmer Khalid Hassan, 24, farming was a choice, not a fallback. “I graduated with a degree in business administration, but I chose farming because not everyone can get an office job.”

In Wajir County, an arid region better known for herding, Hassan and fellow graduate Meimuna Said are proving agriculture can flourish in challenging conditions. With project support, they adopted climate-smart agriculture, accessed credit, and embraced technologies such as rainwater harvesting, solar-powered pumps and drip irrigation. Hassan now produces onions, tomatoes and orange-flesh sweet potatoes in quantities large enough to supply schools, restaurants and vendors. “Local demand is so high, I cannot meet it all, and that is a good problem,” he says.

Alongside crops, the pair keep bees and poultry and raise livestock. This diversification boosts incomes and strengthens resilience against extreme weather. They also share their knowledge through Farmer Service Centres, mentoring other farmers. “I do not just farm, I support others to succeed too,” says Said. Hassan adds, “People see me as a leader, a change-maker. That motivates me to do more for my community.”

Looking ahead

From Senegal to Kenya, these stories reveal a new chapter for African agriculture, where young people are driving innovation and growth. Diongue hopes to expand her chicken business to 2,000 birds and start a cattle fattening venture. “I want to show other young people that it is possible to start a business or farm successfully. You just have to believe in it and be well accompanied.”

The WFP-Mastercard Foundation partnership currently operates in Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda. With more investment and collaboration, the continent’s youth could hold the key to securing Africa’s food future.

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