The Youth Are Not the Future — They Are the Now

The recent National Youth Summit in Lilongwe, held under the theme “Harnessing Youth Innovation for Economic Empowerment,” was more than a gathering—it was a wake-up call. As Malawi moves toward the ambitious vision of Malawi 2063—a self-reliant and inclusively wealthy nation—we must confront a fundamental truth: this vision will remain a distant dream unless we fully unleash the power and potential of our youth.

More than 75% of Malawi’s population is under the age of 35. Youth unemployment sits at a staggering 23%, with countless others trapped in underemployment or vulnerable informal work. For too long, agriculture—Malawi’s economic backbone—has been seen by young people as a dead-end career, associated with drudgery, poverty, and missed opportunities.

But what if we changed the story? What if agriculture, instead of being viewed as the profession of last resort, became the engine of economic revival and youth empowerment? The key lies in innovation—not just in the high-tech, urban sense of the word, but in everyday, grassroots solutions that make life better. For a farmer in Kasungu, innovation is using drip irrigation to survive a drought. For a trader in Mchinji, it is mobile money powering financial inclusion. For a cooperative in Thyolo, it is a digital platform opening up new markets. Innovation is not just technology—it is a mindset. It is the engine of transformation and empowerment, especially in agriculture and rural enterprise.

And this transformation is not just theory—it is already happening. Emmanuel Mwanza, founder of Go Jet Investment, is living proof. With support from the Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture (YEFFA) program—a partnership between AGRA and RUMARK, funded by the Mastercard Foundation—Emmanuel transitioned from a smallholder youth farmer into a thriving agribusiness leader. Today, his company operates 20 agro-dealer outlets across four districts, employs 30 fellow youths, and is projected to generate over K740 million in annual sales. He is not only a job creator, but a source of hope and inspiration for thousands.

Emmanuel’s story is not a lucky exception. It is a blueprint that must be replicated across the country. The YEFFA program aims to reach one million young Malawians by 2028, equipping them with skills, mentorship, and access to finance—tools that convert potential into real prosperity. This national journey is part of a broader continental awakening. From the Maputo Declaration of 2003 to the Kampala Declaration of 2024, African leaders have repeatedly committed to an agricultural transformation. The latest call to action is clear: triple intra-African trade, engage at least 30% of youth meaningfully in the agri-food value chains, and mobilise US$100 billion by 2035 to support these efforts.

To achieve this in Malawi, we must move from talk to action. The government must prioritize young people in land allocation and procurement systems. It must institutionalize youth innovation hubs and integrate youth enterprises into national agricultural programs. Every youth-targeted investment must be tracked for alignment with Malawi 2063 goals and evaluated for real impact.

The private sector must evolve from seeing youth development as charity to embracing it as smart investment. Youth-led supply chains, tailored financing, mentorship, and job creation should be seen as essential to long-term competitiveness. Commercial banks, in particular, must be bold—allocating a meaningful share of their loan portfolios to youth-led enterprises that are building the Malawi of tomorrow.

Development partners must fund entire ecosystems, not isolated activities. We need blended finance and de-risking mechanisms to unlock capital for youth. More importantly, development programs must go beyond tokenism and elevate young people as co-creators and leaders.

And to the youth of Malawi—this transformation begins with you. Be bold. Take risks. Organize. Embrace technology. Disrupt outdated systems. Your energy, your ideas, and your determination are Malawi’s most valuable resources.

In his book Gambling on Development, Oxford economist Stefan Dercon argues that national progress begins with a gamble—a long-term, credible commitment by leaders to choose shared prosperity over political expediency. Investing in Malawi’s youth, especially through a modernized, innovative agricultural sector, is not just a smart bet—it is the best bet we can make. It directly strengthens the pillars of Malawi 2063: wealth creation, human capital, and climate resilience.

The Youth Summit in Lilongwe must be a turning point—not another event where big ideas go to die. It must mark the start of a new era, where young people are not waiting for jobs, but building them; not dependent on handouts, but offering scalable solutions. The future of Malawi begins now. And it will be shaped, built, and led by its young people. We must believe in their vision, invest in their efforts, and walk beside them as partners in building the nation we all dream of.

Professor Hamadi Boga is the Vice President, AGRA