The hidden jobs engine: unleashing the potential of agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa

A common misunderstanding persists about job creation in Africa. Many envision cities as the epicenters of economic opportunity. Yet for millions in Sub-Saharan Africa, the path to decent work still winds through agriculture. With youth unemployment rising and cities unable to absorb the growing labor force, agriculture—still the region’s largest employer—must be transformed into a more productive, appealing, and innovative sector.

The statistics reflecting the reality

Despite the narrative of urban futures, 70–80% of rural employment in the region remains tied to agriculture (World Bank, FAO). With 362 million youth entering working age over the next decade and only 151 million job opportunities expected, nearly a quarter will remain jobless without intervention. By 2050, five African countries—Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Uganda—will add 304 million people to their working-age populations, more than any other region. This demographic surge is happening amidst sluggish growth, declining investment and trade flows, debt burdens, and rising fragility. While agriculture holds massive employment potential, it suffers from stagnant productivity and poor job quality.

More than just farming

Agriculture is more than farming. It includes logistics, processing, technology, and services across the value chain. Rising urban food demand in cities like Lagos, Accra, Abidjan, and Douala is creating employment across downstream segments.

Examples like Côte d'Ivoire's cashew sector and Nigeria’s rice and cassava value chains show how coordinated investments in policy, infrastructure, and innovation can unlock growth. World Bank analysis suggests that every $1 million invested in agribusiness generates more jobs than equivalent spending in manufacturing or services. Agriculture is a sleeping giant for inclusive growth.

Why it’s not happening yet

Despite this promise, several barriers limit agriculture’s job creation potential. Insecure land tenure discourages youth investment and innovation. Gaps in finance and training lockout young people from emerging opportunities in digital agriculture, mechanization, and climate-smart practices.

Fragmented value chains and weak infrastructure undermine scalability and efficiency. Women—who make up a significant share of agricultural workers—face deeper marginalization, exacerbating productivity gaps. Moreover, many policies continue to emphasize short-term subsidies over long-term strategies that build sustainable job ecosystems.

Five job-stimulating shifts

To reposition agriculture as a transformative engine for employment, five strategic shifts are needed:

• Invest in agrifood value chains: Shift perspective from productivity pipelines to employment ecosystems to drive more job-focused investment.
• Scale youth-focused skills programs: Equip youth with digital, mechanization, climate-smart, and service-oriented skills to innovate within the sector.
• Strengthen rural infrastructure: Improve roads, energy, and storage to reduce costs and improve market access, enabling job-rich growth.
• Reform land and finance systems: Unlock youth and women’s participation through land and credit reforms that support entrepreneurship and innovation.
• Align public policy and donor financing: Prioritize job intensity in investment decisions and redirect subsidies toward innovations that make agrifood jobs greener, more competitive, and appealing to young people.

Emerging good practice

There are promising examples to build upon. Ghana’s National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program (NEIP) supports agribusiness ventures through targeted programming. Nigeria’s Anchor Borrowers Program offers smallholder support—though its implementation highlights the need for consistent design and follow-up. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is investing in agribusiness and food corridor initiatives to connect producers to markets.

To scale such efforts, the World Bank Group will double its agribusiness investment to $9 billion annually by 2030. This “strategic pivot” aims to boost food production and address pressing challenges in emerging markets, especially employment. Central to this approach are smallholder farmers and producer organizations, who play a critical role in job creation, revenue generation, and food and nutrition improvement.

A generation at stake

Looking forward, 362 million youth will enter working age over the next decade. With only 151 million jobs projected, the mismatch is stark. Agriculture should no longer be treated as a fallback—it is a frontier of economic transformation.

The question is not whether agriculture can create jobs, but whether governments, donors, and investors will support the sector with the urgency and ambition required. Failure to act risks squandering this opportunity—and jeopardizing an entire generation.

The time to act is now. Agriculture must be elevated from its traditionally overlooked status to its rightful role as a central pillar of sustainable development and inclusive job creation in Sub-Saharan Africa.