ENABLE Youth Programme Sparks Agribusiness Boom Across 18 African Nations

The ENABLE Youth Programme, a flagship initiative of the African Development Bank (AfDB), stands as a transformative model for leveraging Africa’s demographic dividend to unlock the continent’s agricultural potential. Since its inception in 2016, this bold initiative has created over 237,000 jobs and empowered nearly 100,000 young people across 18 African countries. It is a powerful testament to how strategic investments in youth and agribusiness can catalyze economic development and food security.

Vision and Scope of the ENABLE Youth Programme

Formally titled Empowering Novel Agri-Business-Led Employment (ENABLE), the programme was conceived to address critical challenges in Africa’s agricultural sector: youth unemployment, limited access to agribusiness financing, and the underutilization of modern farming techniques. Its ambitious goals include establishing 300,000 agribusinesses and providing youth with technical training, mentorship, and access to affordable capital.

This initiative aligns seamlessly with the African Development Bank’s 2025 Annual Meetings theme: “Making Africa’s Capital Work Better for Africa’s Development.” By transforming Africa’s human capital—especially the youth—into economic engines, the ENABLE Youth Programme offers a scalable model for agricultural modernization.

Addressing Africa’s Agricultural Paradox

Africa’s agriculture is paradoxical: while smallholder farmers produce 80% of the continent’s food and women form a majority of the agricultural workforce, both groups remain marginalized from finance and market access. Productivity remains low, and postharvest losses are staggering—often reaching up to 80% for fruits and vegetables.

One of the programme’s key priorities is bridging this gap through targeted financing. This is particularly essential for women farmers and agripreneurs, who often lack access to collateral and formal credit systems. Increasing women’s participation and productivity in agriculture is not just a gender-equity issue—it’s critical to achieving food security and economic inclusion in Africa.

Success Story: Faith Timona Mumo and Iviani Farm Limited

Kenya’s Faith Timona Mumo, co-founder and CEO of Iviani Farm Limited, is a shining example of ENABLE Youth’s impact. Her enterprise sources fruits and vegetables from local farmers and processes them into dried crisps, significantly extending their shelf life from a few days to over two years.

Mumo explained, “Fruits and vegetables are highly perishable. Poor postharvest practices lead to losses and force farmers to sell at rock-bottom prices to brokers and middlemen.” By leveraging her interest-free ENABLE Youth loan, she trained farmers on postharvest loss reduction, implemented solar-powered systems for energy needs, and introduced a modern aquaculture system that conserves water.

In addition to crop processing, Iviani Farm also promotes aquaculture in Kenya’s arid regions. The company helps farmers establish their own fishponds and provides fingerlings, hatchery tours, and ongoing technical support. As of now, Iviani Farm supports around 5,000 smallholder farmers, doubling its fingerling production capacity and enhancing food resilience in rural areas.

Mumo’s story exemplifies the programme’s focus on human capital development. “Agriculture can be a pathway to financial freedom,” she said, encouraging more women to explore opportunities in high-growth sectors like aquaculture.

Aquaculture Expansion: The Case of Washington Maina

Another ENABLE Youth beneficiary, Washington Maina, used his interest-free loan to rehabilitate and expand Centro Energy Limited, a firm he founded focusing on aquaculture, energy, and environmental sustainability. The funds enabled his company to become a certified hatchery, now producing 120,000 tilapia and 60,000 African catfish fingerlings each month.

“Our company can now meet regional demand, thanks to the support,” Maina said. His work is contributing to enhanced fish supply, rural employment, and increased food security.

Scaling Up Youth Empowerment: AfDB’s Long-Term Vision

The African Development Bank has incorporated youth empowerment as a cross-cutting pillar in its Ten-Year Strategy (2024–2033). This commitment signals an increase in investments aimed at youth-centric programmes like ENABLE Youth, which not only create jobs but also build resilience in Africa’s food systems.

Programme Coordinator Edson Mpyisi emphasized the long-term benefits of such investments. “With the right support, agri-SMEs can pivot in response to crises, innovate, and generate economic opportunities in both rural and urban areas,” he stated.

Looking Ahead: A Model for Replication

As ENABLE Youth continues to scale, its model of interest-free financing, technical support, and targeted mentorship offers a replicable blueprint for other regions facing similar demographic and developmental challenges.

It’s not just about growing food—it’s about growing capacity, leadership, and prosperity. Africa’s youth, when empowered with the right tools and support, are not only beneficiaries of development—they are its drivers.