Two young agripreneurs from Ghana, Nana Kusi Appiah, CEO of GanaFert Limited, and Bernice Agboada, Founder of Vijay Mushrooms, are calling for greater investment, inclusivity, and sustained collaboration in Africa’s food systems following their participation in the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFS) 2025 in Dakar, Senegal.
Supported by the Mastercard Foundation, both entrepreneurs were among dozens of youth leaders given the platform to share their innovations and insights on transforming Africa’s food future.
For Nana Kusi Appiah, the Forum reaffirmed that entrepreneurship remains the single most important driver of agricultural transformation.
“The solutions to our continent’s food challenges will not come from theory alone,” said Nana Kusi Appiah.
“They will come from bold, practical innovations led by entrepreneurs who understand the realities on the ground. But too often, agribusiness is overlooked by investors who prefer tech startups.
Agriculture is not outdated; it is Africa’s biggest opportunity, and investment in food systems is not charity, but smart economics.”
Nana Kusi Appiah also underscored the need for deliberate efforts to amplify youth voices. At the Youth Innovation Dome, he pitched GanaFert’s solutions, showcasing how youth-led agribusinesses can scale and drive impact when given access to funding and platforms.
For Bernice Agboada, the Forum was both transformative and deeply personal. As a mushroom farmer living with albinism, she used the platform to highlight the importance of inclusion for persons with disabilities in Africa’s food systems.
“Too many people still see disability as a curse, but my story shows it is not a limitation,” Agboada said.
“True inclusion must go beyond slogans. It must be intentional, built into our policies, businesses, and food systems. We cannot afford to leave anyone behind if we want to build a resilient Africa.”
Bernice, who runs Vijay Mushrooms, left Dakar with a renewed vision to scale her business beyond raw cultivation into value-added processing, including mushroom-based snacks and packaged products.
She also called for the creation of open-access food research and processing labs across Africa. “Too many young agripreneurs are experimenting in isolation without access to proper facilities,” she explained.
“Shared labs would allow us to test, refine, and scale our products, and unlock Africa’s potential to compete globally in value-added exports.”
Both entrepreneurs emphasised that the Africa Food Systems Forum must spark lasting change.
“Forums like AFS 2025 should not be one-off events,” Nana Kusi Appiah stressed. “They must lead to ongoing partnerships, joint ventures, and sustained investment.”
Their experiences highlight a broader message: Africa’s food future depends on entrepreneurship, inclusion, and collaboration.
The Africa Food Systems Forum (AFS) 2025 was held in Dakar, Senegal, bringing together policymakers, entrepreneurs, investors, and development partners to discuss strategies for resilient and sustainable food systems in Africa.
Participation of young entrepreneurs like Nana Kusi Appiah and Bernice Agboada was supported by the Mastercard Foundation.
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