The Dakar summit places a
spotlight on empowering African youth to transform agriculture, focusing on
equipping them to become leaders driving sustainable changes in the food
production sector.
In discussions with young
individuals and prominent leaders from Africa, President Kagame underlined the
importance of prioritizing youth, who form the majority of the continent's
population.
He emphasized that
providing quality education, access to financial resources, and exposure to
diverse opportunities are key to enabling young minds to harness their
innovative ideas for modern agriculture and entrepreneurial ventures.
President Kagame said: “We
have to focus on young people who constitute the largest portion of our
population, through education, through financing, through different
partnerships so that all these young minds with their innovation and ideas in
term of entrepreneurship can thrive.”
Reinforcing his point,
Kagame shared that youth must take ownership of their future and not rely
solely on external help. He noted: “There is no sitting back and waiting until
there is a problem and you expect that somebody is going to come and help.”
Urging young leaders to
face obstacles with confidence, he remarked: “Young people, my simple message
to you is: let’s not run away from problems. Because even where you run to, you
will find problems, may be even more problems. Especially when they will send
you back where you came from. But alongside that, find a purpose, know there
are going to be problems, try and fail but don’t fail to try.”
President Kagame also
pointed out that real change on the continent must begin with transforming
people's thoughts and behaviors. He stated: “The transformation, the reforms
that are to be carried out, have to start with changing people's minds and
practices.”
The summit in Dakar
continues to encourage African youth to take charge in revolutionizing the
agricultural sector. By doing so, the leaders aim to enhance productivity,
eradicate hunger, and secure a prosperous future for Africa.
President Kagame urged African youth to embrace innovation and lead transformative changes in agriculture rather than lagging behind.