The Malabo Montpellier Panel has called on African governments to prioritise the transformation of agrifood systems as a key strategy for creating employment opportunities for the continent’s rapidly growing youth population.
The recommendation is contained in the panel’s 2026 report, released on Wednesday, which states that modernised agrifood systems can generate millions of productive jobs while advancing food security, poverty reduction, climate resilience, industrialisation and inclusive economic growth.
The report, titled “Job Harvests: Policy Innovations for Inclusive Agrifood Employment in Africa,” argues that unlocking the full potential of Africa’s agrifood sector will require coordinated policies, strong institutions, sustained investment and inclusive implementation strategies.
Drawing lessons from Ethiopia, Nigeria and Rwanda, the report estimates that about 70 million young Africans are currently employed, enrolled in school or participating in training programmes. It also warns that Africa will need to create nearly two million jobs every month by 2040 to absorb the growing number of young people entering the labour market.
Speaking on the report, Co-Chair of the Malabo Montpellier Panel, Ousmane Badiane, said the continent’s employment challenge extends beyond job creation to ensuring the availability of decent, productive and well-paying jobs.
He stressed that improving workplace safety, promoting equitable opportunities and addressing challenges such as rapid population growth and climate change are essential for agrifood systems to become major drivers of inclusive employment.
Another Co-Chair of the panel and representative of the Centre for Development Research at the University of Bonn, Joachim von Braun, urged African governments to prioritise agricultural productivity as the foundation for long-term employment generation and economic transformation.
Highlighting Nigeria’s experience, the report noted that initiatives designed to improve employment planning and job placement have strengthened labour market coordination and expanded opportunities for young people.
It also recognised the contribution of Nigeria’s specialised agricultural universities and the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) in equipping young people with practical skills required for emerging careers across modern agrifood value chains.
According to the report, the Bank of Industry mobilised more than $7 billion in catalytic capital between 2015 and 2024, financing over 5.4 million enterprises and contributing to the creation of more than 15 million jobs.
The panel urged governments across Africa to make agricultural productivity growth the cornerstone of broader employment transformation while aligning education and skills development with labour market demands.
It further recommended strengthening employment policies that promote decent work, productivity and inclusive labour markets, improving occupational safety and health systems, expanding public works programmes linked to social protection, and enhancing access to business support services.
The report also called for greater investment in one-stop business support institutions, digital labour and market information platforms, and stronger high-level institutional coordination to improve job matching, stimulate enterprise growth and accelerate inclusive employment across Africa’s agrifood sector.
