From Campus to Community: Building Agribusiness Skills in Africa through Digital Learning

Africa’s food security lies in the hands of its young agripreneurs. Yet without the right skills and knowledge, their potential remains underutilized. To address this, the Agri-Business Facility for Africa (ABF) brought digital agribusiness training directly to students and communities through its Agribusiness e-Academy Road Tour in Malawi.

Drawing lessons from the successful tour in Ghana, the team hit the road from September 8–13, 2025, travelling from Lilongwe to rural communities to equip the next generation of agripreneurs. Reaching over 1,800 participants, the initiative partnered with four institutions: Mwimba College of Agriculture (MWICA), Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Magomero College and DAPP Mikolongwe, empowering students and young agripreneurs to lead agricultural transformation from campus to farm.

Empowering Students and Communities
The tour’s impact was immediate and measurable. 1,244 students enrolled in related courses during the event, with 414 young women proudly representing the future of women in agriculture. Already, 118 graduates, including 49 women, have successfully completed their programs, demonstrating the real outcomes of this initiative.

In Their Own Words
Beyond the numbers, the road tour ignited passion and purpose Eight passionate students stepped up as ambassadors, creating school clubs to sustain the momentum and inspire their peers.

The students spoke about the impact. Dennis, from Mwimba College, reflected on how the training would strengthen his work: “We have learnt a lot in terms of agribusiness skills. As extension agents, we’ll now be able to equip farmers with the skills we’ve gained today.”

At LUANAR, the excitement was equally strong. Gloria, one of the students, explained how her expectations changed during the sessions: “At first, we thought it was just about attending, but then we realized how much they wanted us to actively participate.”

Faculty members also saw the value. Mr. Flackson Likupe, an Agribusiness Lecturer at LUANAR, described it as a breakthrough: “It has been a wow experience. It complements what we are already doing at LUANAR, while also giving students the flexibility to learn in their own environment and free time.”

“We are confident that the knowledge gained will help our students carry out their extension work more effectively and reach more farmers.”- Principal Thokozani Mtapaonga (R) - Magomero College

A Journey of Lasting Impact
By blending hands-on training with digital learning, students gained not just knowledge but a mission: to bring modern agribusiness practices to smallholder farmers and improve livelihoods.

With every new enrolment, every graduate, and every farmer reached, the ripple effects of this initiative will continue to spread, planting the seeds of food security and economic resilience across Malawi.

The Agribusiness e-Academy continues to grow as a hub of knowledge and opportunity, with 64,680 plus enrolments to date. More than 23, 540 women are building their skills in Entrepreneurship in Agribusiness, Good Agricultural Practices, Climate Resilience, and Market Access.

The e-Academy is an initiative of Agri-Business Facility for Africa (ABF) as part of the Joint Action “Business Support Facility for Resilient Agricultural Value Chains” co-funded by the European Union under the Samoa agreement with OACPS and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by GIZ.