Thirteen new World Food Forum (WFF) National Youth Chapters have been launched in Africa, expanding the continent’s network of young leaders working to transform agrifood systems.The new chapters, announced during the Global Youth Forum of the World Food Forum, bring the total number of National Youth Chapters in Africa to 33. They span Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Comoros, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Gabon, Lesotho, Namibia, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal and Togo.
The National Youth Chapters provide platforms for young people to connect, share knowledge, build partnerships and contribute to agrifood systems transformation at national and regional levels. They are established in close collaboration with FAO’s Decentralized Offices to co-design impactful initiatives at local, regional and global levels.
The 13 new chapters join existing chapters across the continent, including in Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Zimbabwe. The expansion reflects a broader effort to mobilise youth-driven initiatives through national youth platforms.
FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa, Abebe Haile-Gabriel, emphasised the importance of sustained investment in youth leadership. He said the chapters would help young people contribute to agrifood development and progressively assume leadership roles.
The launch comes as the World Food Forum’s network has grown to more than 100 national youth chapters globally in 2026, with regional platforms connecting young people, science and innovation. The initiative aims to give young people a stronger voice in shaping the future of food and agriculture.
The chapters are designed to mobilise local youth-driven initiatives and scale solutions for agrifood systems transformation. By connecting young people across countries, the network aims to build partnerships, promote sustainable practices and engage in policy dialogue.
For Africa’s young people, the expansion offers more opportunities to participate in shaping the continent’s food systems. The challenge now is to turn the new chapters into active platforms that deliver measurable impact in communities and inform policy at national and regional levels.
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