The National Youth Council of Malawi (NYCOM) on 15th May, during the African Agricultural Extension Week, hosted a side event challenging policymakers and practitioners to answer one fundamental question: Are Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services truly youth-centric? The lively side event, held at Crossroads Hotel, brought together young agripreneurs, development partners, and government representatives to reimagine extension services for Africa’s digital-native generation.
NYCOM Executive Director Rex Chapota opened with a powerful indictment of current systems. “Our extension services remain frozen in time, designed for subsistence farmers in an era when our youth are building commercial agribusinesses,” he asserted. Chapota highlighted the glaring mismatch between Africa’s demographic reality – where 70% of the population is under 35 – and extension systems still tailored for older farmers. He particularly criticized the exclusion of youth voices in planning processes and the failure to integrate digital tools that young farmers increasingly rely on.
The discussion gained momentum as panelists shared concrete examples of this disconnect. Country Programme Lead for AGRA-Sustainably Growing Africa’s Food Systems. Malawi, Valentine Miheso revealed how young farmers are increasingly bypassing traditional extension systems altogether, instead creating their own knowledge networks and paid advisory services. “Why wait for an extension officer who’s never used a greenhouse when you can learn directly from a successful young farmer?” Miheso asked, drawing applause from the youth-dominated audience.
Chipatso Sodzapaja, a young agripreneur from the Corporate Institute of Horticulture , brought firsthand experience to the discussion. “As youth, we’re constantly innovating with digital solutions and value addition, but extension services still treat us as passive recipients rather than partners,” she shared. Sodzapaja emphasized how peer-to-peer learning and youth leadership in extension planning could dramatically improve engagement.
Our MEAL Officer responsible for AGRA’s YEFFA project, Doreen Chilije presented compelling evidence disproving the myth of youth disinterest in agriculture. She cited overwhelming response to NYCOM’s youth agri-grants program, demonstrating strong demand when opportunities align with young people’s aspirations. “The hunger is there,” Chilije emphasized. “What’s missing are systems that speak their language.”
As the session closed, Chapota issued a challenge to delegates: “The time for small adjustments has passed. We need nothing less than a complete reimagining of extension services – with youth not just included, but leading the design process.” The energized discussion made clear that while the challenges are significant, Africa’s youth are ready to drive an agricultural revolution – if given the proper tools and platforms to do so.
The side event marked a significant step in NYCOM’s ongoing campaign to position youth at the center of Malawi’s agricultural transformation agenda, building on their successful youth cooperative grants and digital extension initiatives. With agricultural employment critical to Africa’s future, yesterday’s discussion underscored the urgent need to bridge the gap between the continent’s aging extension systems and its dynamic youth population.
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