The opening ceremony of the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) 2025 ended on a decisive note as Dr. Paulin Basinga, Africa Director of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, delivered a message that was both a vote of confidence and a demand for bold action. His words were not framed as polite observations but as a rallying cry: Africa’s demographic surge must be turned into a dividend, not a disaster.
Dr. Basinga highlighted a staggering fact — Africa’s youth population will rise by 55% by 2050. To him, this is not a looming crisis, but Africa’s single greatest opportunity to generate well-paying jobs, drive inclusive growth, and lift millions from poverty. “The opportunity is here,” he pressed, “but only if we invest in agri-food systems that can absorb and empower this generation.”
He praised organizations such as AGRA, whose partnerships are already equipping young entrepreneurs with modern skills, transforming subsistence farming into viable, wealth-generating enterprises. His point was emphatic: transformation is not theoretical — it is happening now. Young Africans trained in these programs are earning up to seven times the national minimum wage, proof that when youth are empowered, entire communities rise with them.
But Dr. Basinga pushed the conversation further, insisting that success must not be measured by yield increases alone. True transformation, he argued, is about equity, sustainable livelihoods, and dignity. He championed technology as a game-changer — from digital weather platforms to smart fertilizer management — but made clear that innovation without scale and access will leave too many behind.
The Gates Foundation director did not mince words: philanthropy cannot carry this alone. Governments, the private sector, and international partners must tear down barriers, unlock capital, and replicate proven models at scale. Every investment, he stressed, must be designed to go further through collaboration, innovation, and accountability.
Closing the ceremony with urgency, Dr. Basinga called on Africa’s leaders to place youth at the very center of national development strategies. “When you empower the young generation, you secure the continent’s future,” he declared. He reaffirmed the Foundation’s enduring partnership with AGRA, praising it as a model of how African-led initiatives and global organizations can work side by side to deliver large-scale transformation.
His final message was clear and uncompromising: a prosperous, food-secure Africa is not just possible — it is inevitable, if leaders choose to act now and act boldly.
