Africa’s agricultural transformation will depend on investing in young people’s skills alongside strengthening systems and expanding access to finance, Swisscontact Country Director Sharon Mosin has said.
Speaking during the Financing Agri-Food Systems Sustainably (FINAS 2026) Forum at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, Mosin said skills development should be treated as economic infrastructure rather than a social programme if the continent is to build resilient food systems and attract investment.
She said Africa’s agricultural future rests on three interconnected pillars—skills, systems and capital—warning that neglecting any one of them would undermine efforts to modernise the sector.
“Skills without systems produce unemployed graduates. Systems without capital limit growth, while capital without skills increases investment risk,” she said.
Mosin observed that although Africa has the world’s youngest population, many young people still view agriculture as a last resort because training institutions continue to prepare them for outdated farming practices rather than the modern, technology-driven agricultural economy.
She noted that today’s agriculture extends beyond food production to include logistics, biotechnology, precision farming, digital finance, renewable energy, climate adaptation, food processing and entrepreneurship.
According to Mosin, the disconnect between education, industry and financial institutions has created a situation where employers cannot find skilled workers, graduates struggle to secure jobs, financial institutions cannot identify investment-ready enterprises and young entrepreneurs fail to access financing.
She called for stronger collaboration between governments, the private sector, training institutions and development partners to bridge these gaps.
Mosin advocated for increased apprenticeship programmes, industry-led training and mentorship opportunities, saying young people acquire practical skills more effectively through hands-on learning.
She urged agribusinesses, commercial farms and food processors to become training hubs by offering apprenticeships and experiential learning opportunities, while financial institutions should work closely with youth enterprises before expecting them to become bankable.
On agricultural financing, Mosin argued that financial institutions invest in competent entrepreneurs rather than commodities.
“Banks do not finance crops or livestock; they finance competence. Investors do not invest in maize; they invest in management. Capital follows confidence, confidence follows capability, and capability comes from skills,” she said.
She added that equipping young people with skills in regenerative agriculture, carbon markets, climate adaptation, renewable energy, digital technologies and water stewardship is becoming increasingly urgent as climate change continues to reshape global food systems.
Mosin called on governments to modernise Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, strengthen agricultural colleges and develop policies that promote innovation and partnerships with industry.
She also challenged the private sector to play a more active role in developing the agricultural workforce by helping shape training curricula, providing mentorship and creating opportunities for practical learning.
Development partners, she added, should focus on building sustainable market systems, strong institutions and competitive enterprises that continue delivering benefits beyond donor-funded projects.
She urged stakeholders to prioritise market-driven skills, stronger links between education, enterprise and finance, and greater investment in youth capability, saying these measures would create entrepreneurs, strengthen agribusinesses, improve climate resilience and unlock Africa’s economic potential.
“The future of African agriculture will not be determined by how much land we cultivate, but by how many capable young people we cultivate,” Mosin said.
By James Kabutu
