The numbers tell us why this matters. Agriculture employs the majority of Gambians, yet youth unemployment remains high and women still struggle to own land, access credit, and move beyond subsistence. FAO notes that over 70 young people have already gone through Agri-Accelerator coaching, with 24 receiving incentive support. The new US$255,000 phase aims to reach 200 more young women and men and support 100 youth-led agribusinesses. The tropical fruit project adds another layer, targeting processing, packaging and marketing — the very areas where value is lost.
As FAO’s Moshibudi Rampedi pointed out, tropical fruits are not just for the local market. With proper processing, they can enter regional and export markets. That means jobs beyond the farm: in packaging, transport, branding, and sales.
And as UN Resident Coordinator Karl Frédérick Paul said, young people need decent jobs, and women need enterprises that give them economic independence.
But the most honest remark came from Permanent Secretary Alhagie Nagangdo: “The trainings are not enough.”
He is right. We all know the story of okra and mangoes rotting because there is no storage, or of farmers forced to sell at giveaway prices when the market is flooded. Coaching on business plans cannot fix a broken cold chain. Financial literacy means little if banks still see agriculture as too risky.
Thus, the project should priorities three things namely; Investment in infrastructure: Storage, processing facilities, and reliable market linkages must be part of the package. Otherwise we are training entrepreneurs to fail.
Access to finance: Coaching is good. But 100 youth-led businesses will need actual capital, not just principles of “Responsible Agricultural Investment.” Government, banks, and development partners must de-risk lending for youth and women.
And remembering the power of our local market: The tropical fruit project promises to address barriers and improve market access. That must mean negotiating better prices, meeting quality standards, and linking SMEs to buyers beyond Banjul.
The Gambia’s agrifood sector can be a jobs engine. It is climate-smart, it is local, and it leverages a demographic that is young, energetic, and already experimenting on WhatsApp and at Lumo markets. What they lack is not ambition. It is systems.
FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture have set the ball rolling. Now let us ensure that in 2028 we are not launching “Agri-Accelerator 3.0” to fix the gaps of 2.0. Let us instead be counting new factories, new export deals, and young women who own the trucks, not just sell from the basins.
Training opens the door. Investment, infrastructure and markets keep it open. That is how we move from projects to prosperity.