An Ivorian entrepreneur who started up a snack food business with about $100, then transformed it into a multinational supplier of a popular potato chip, is crediting the African Development Bank’s Enable Youth program for his success.
Thirty-year-old “Mon chips” brand founder Koffi Amani François Xavier told an audience Tuesday on the sidelines of the African Development Bank Group 2025 Annual Meetings, that his participation in the Enable Youth AgriPitch competition – which empowers young people in the agribusiness sector -helped him develop the skills he needed to scale up his business.
Xavier was a featured speaker at the Annual Meetings side event focused on supporting African youth and innovation in Africa’s agriculture sector, held on Monday 26 May. The“Mobilizing Africa’s Agripreneurs: Unleashing the Next Generation of Agricultural Innovators“ session showcased the transformational impact of the ENABLE Youth Program, which has supported more than 100,000 young people in agriculture across 18 African countries and has facilitated the estimated creation of 240,000 jobs.
“Agriculture offers the largest scale and quickest wins for youth employment. That’s why the African Development Bank launched the ENABLE Youth Program in 2016. We knew that if we could support young people to become “agri-preneurs,” they would build businesses that not only feed Africa but employ millions of people,” Dr. Beth Dunford, African Development Bank Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development said in her remarks.
The side event drew policymakers, private sector leaders, development partners, young agripreneurs and other participants to share insights on scaling up youth-led agribusinesses across Africa. Xavier not only participated in the AgriPitch competition that offers business development training, mentorship and exposure to potential investors – he was an AgriPitch winner of $25,000 two years ago.
“Thanks to the Bank’s AgriPitch competition, we were able to modernize our production, reach 150 points of sale [stores] in Côte d’Ivoire, and establish a presence in four countries,” Xavier said. He told side event attendees that since the competition, he expanded his work force to 26 employees, 80 percent of his employees are women, and that his operations now process 50 tons of potato chips per year.
Bank Enable Youth Coordinator Edson Mpyisi moderated a panel on creating opportunities for youth-led agribusinesses through policy reform, financing mechanisms, private sector mentorship, and access to markets. Panelists included: Dr. Martin Fregene, Bank Director for Agriculture and Agro-Industry; Diana Gichaga, Managing Partner of Private Equity Support; Dr. Ismahane Elouafi, Executive Managing Director of CGIAR; Frank Nyabundege, Managing Director at Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank; and AgriPitch winner Xavier, whose company is registered as Etoduma SARL.
Africa is home to the youngest population in the world – with more than 60 percent of the continent’s population under the age of 25. By 2030, one out of every two new entrants in the global labour force will come from Africa.
The gathering also delved into the prospects of a proposed “Enable Youth 2.0” – a scaling up of Enable Youth’s success that will focus on innovative and inclusive financing, capacity building, market linkages and climate resilience. The Enable Youth Program aligns with Bank commitments under its Ten-Year Strategy (2024 – 2033) – to place youth at the center of Africa’s agricultural and economic transformation.
Organizing or sponsoring initiatives such as the African Youth Agripreneur Forum, AgriPitch Competition, and Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Banks, the African Development Bank continues to mobilize investment, innovation, and partnerships to help realize Africa’s agrifood potential.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Click here (http://apo-opa.co/4kHdM7C) for photos from the “Mobilizing Africa’s Agripreneurs: Unleashing the Next Generation of Agricultural Innovators” session” Annual Meetings side event.
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