Empowering Youth to Drive Economic Transformation

 

AGRA VIce President Program Delivery, Professor Boga

The National Youth Council of Malawi (NYCOM) hosted the 2025 National Youth Summit, under the theme “Harnessing Youth Innovation for Economic Empowerment and Sustainable Job Creation towards Malawi 2063.” The summit brought together youth leaders, innovators, policymakers, and development partners to explore how young people can be better supported to contribute meaningfully to national development.

Delivering the keynote address at the event, Professor Hamadi Boga, Vice President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution inAfrica (AGRA), called for a bold shift in mind-set to see young people not as leaders of tomorrow, but as key drivers of Malawi’s economic transformation today.

“Young people are already at the forefront of change. From smallholder farmers using mobile payment systems, to youth-led cooperatives using digital platforms to access markets, the evidence is clear, innovation and youth entrepreneurship are not optional. They are essential if Malawi is to achieve the ambitions of Malawi 2063,” said Professor Boga.

Professor Boga stressed the importance of embedding young entrepreneurs within agricultural and other productive value chains, noting that youth must not be left on the margins of the economy but placed at its centre to transform the continents agricultural future.

“Africa has the land and the people to succeed. But success requires putting youth at the centre of innovation, policy, and sustainability” He Said.

Professor Boga also highlighted the need to institutionalise innovation in policies and programming, ensuring long-term support for youth-led initiatives.

Rex Chapota, Executive Director of the National Youth Council of Malawi, echoed this call and emphasised the importance of investing in young people.

“The future of this country depends on how we treat and empower our youth today. We must unlock their potential by giving them space, resources, and trust. If we support them with the right resources, they will help drive Malawi’s prosperity agenda,” Chapota said.

The 2025 National Youth Summit reaffirmed the call to action that for Malawi to succeed, it must institutionalise innovation, unlock youth potential, and place young entrepreneurs at the heart of development. During the summit, a Youth Innovation Fund, aimed at supporting youth-led innovations was launched by President Lazarus Chakwera.

The summit highlighted successful youth-led ventures and provided a platform for dialogue between youth and decision-makers. It also underscored the need for stronger partnerships between government, private sector, and civil society to harness the full potential of young people across all sectors.


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