Eswatini has secured a place in shaping Africa’s agricultural future after young agripreneur Mbukiso Thubelihle Fakudze helped develop the continent’s first framework for measuring youth empowerment in agrifood systems.
The Youth in Agrifood Systems Performance Index (YAPI), officially launched during the ninth Africa Agriculture Science Week in Abuja, Nigeria, is expected to change how African governments measure, monitor and strengthen youth participation in agriculture.
Rather than simply counting the number of young people employed in the sector, the framework assesses whether they have meaningful access to land, finance, markets, technology, skills, policy platforms and climate resilience. 
Fakudze, a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Extension student at the University of Eswatini’s Luyengo Campus and founder of Sisekelo Semphilo Farms, represented the Kingdom in the technical process that led to the development of the continental index.
His involvement followed his selection to participate in the Youth in Agrifood Systems Performance Index report writeshop held in Lusaka, Zambia, in November last year.
His contribution places Eswatini among the countries helping to shape a framework that is expected to influence agricultural policies, investment decisions and youth development programmes across Africa.
The index was developed by the African Union Commission in partnership with AUDA-NEPAD, regional economic communities, AGRA and other stakeholders after identifying gaps in existing approaches to measuring youth empowerment.
The framework evaluates progress through five key pillars: education, skills and technology; productive resources and services; economic opportunities; policy engagement and governance; and sustainability and resilience.
It is designed to provide governments with evidence on whether young people are genuinely benefiting from agricultural policies and programmes.
Speaking during the launch in Abuja, African Union official Dr Janet Edeme described YAPI as a historic milestone for the continent.
“For the first time, Africa has a continental baseline that will help Member States measure, track and strengthen youth empowerment across agrifood systems,” she said.
Nigeria’s Minister for Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, said the framework would improve accountability by enabling governments to assess whether commitments made to young people were being fulfilled.
“It is about measuring what we have promised, tracking what we have delivered, and ensuring that the voices and contributions of our young people are no longer invisible in the data that shapes our national policies,” he said.
The framework aligns with the Kampala Declaration, which seeks to ensure that at least 30 per cent of young Africans are empowered across agrifood value chains by 2035.
According to International Food Policy Research Institute Senior Research Fellow Dr John M. Ulimwengu, the success of the index will depend on whether countries use the evidence generated to inform practical policy reforms.
He said governments should integrate the findings into national agricultural investment plans, youth strategies, annual budgets and sector reviews to ensure lasting impact.
