African Youth Drive Policy and Innovation at Yale Model AU Conference as Dennis Sampong Champions Agricultural Transformation

African Youth Drive Policy and Innovation at Yale Model AU Conference as Dennis Sampong Champions Agricultural Transformation

Young African leaders took the spotlight at the fifth edition of the Yale Model African Union (YMAU), which wrapped up in Accra after three days of dynamic conversations, innovation, and collaboration. The 2026 gathering, held from March 13–15, brought together more than 300 delegates, including policymakers, entrepreneurs, and industry stakeholders from across Africa and the diaspora.

Anchored on the theme “Imagine, Challenge & Build the Africa We Want,” the conference marked a five-year milestone in nurturing youth leadership and strengthening policy engagement across the continent.

Participants engaged in a wide range of activities, including African Union committee simulations, leadership development sessions, a University and Career Fair, and the Mandate-to-Market Innovation Pitch Contest. One of the standout sessions, “Designing the Future: Creativity at the Intersection of Policy and Enterprise,” examined how collaboration between policy, innovation, and private enterprise can accelerate sustainable development.

A key voice during the session was Dennis Sampong, Country Director of Fludor Ghana, a subsidiary of TGI Group. Drawing from his experience in Ghana’s agricultural landscape, Sampong underscored the urgent need to integrate young people into the cocoa value chain and rethink how agriculture is positioned for the next generation.

He stressed that Africa’s development trajectory is closely tied to its youthful population, noting that more than 60 percent of Ghanaians are under 35. According to him, empowering young people to take ownership of the continent’s future is not optional but essential.

Sampong also highlighted structural challenges in the cocoa sector, particularly the aging farming population, with most farmers between 55 and 60 years old. He called for the adoption of modern farming techniques and technologies to make agriculture more attractive and accessible to young people.

Joining him on the panel were Audrey S-Darko, CEO of Sabon Sake, Jide Pratt, Country Pilot Manager at TradeGrid, and moderator Ericka K. Tenta of the Yale Africa Startup Review. The discussion reinforced the importance of bridging the gap between policy formulation and real-world implementation through collaboration among governments, startups, and private sector actors.

The conference also featured keynote speeches from Tara Squire of Ecobank Ghana and Ambassador Kabral Blay-Amihere of the Ghana Council on Foreign Affairs. Other notable contributors included Ghana’s Minister of Youth Development and Engagement, George Opare Addo, Rwanda’s Ambassador Rosemary Mbabazi, and Dr. Festus Kofi Aubyn of WANEP.

Fludor Ghana’s participation formed part of TGI Group’s broader involvement as a sponsor and exhibitor at the career fair, reflecting its ongoing commitment to youth empowerment and sustainable development initiatives across Africa.