In her processing workshop, 24-year-old Christian Bisih oversees the various stages of preparing and packaging her soya-based products. The machines are running, the teams work briskly, and the neatly arranged packaging speaks of a factory running at full tilt. Bisih's company now processes nearly 150 kilograms of soya weekly into market-ready products, meeting a growing demand for nutritious and affordable food.

For this young Cameroonian university graduate, agriculture has become a genuine business venture. Struggling initially to organise her enterprise, Bisih found her footing after joining the Empowering Novel Agri-Business-Led Employment (ENABLE) Youth Programme. The programme helps young Africans, both men and women, to establish and develop agricultural businesses. Access to training and a network of fellow agripreneurs marked a turning point.

"ENABLE Youth has given me access to a network of entrepreneurs across the country, in the places where my raw materials are produced. I can easily source supplies from my fellow agripreneurs," she says.

Thanks to this network, Bisih can now procure raw materials from other young entrepreneurs based in production areas--an arrangement that secures her supply chain whilst strengthening ties across the value chain.

Nnengue Ngot, his expression reflecting the quiet determination of a young entrepreneur turning passion into purpose. Several kilometres away, 30-year-old Nnengue Ngot is hard at work on his poultry farm. Between the rearing sheds and the feeding areas, activity is in full swing. Here, chicken production is the engine of a rapidly expanding business.

Also trained through the ENABLE Youth programme, Ngot has gradually built an operation that combines production with support for other farmers.

"Our headquarters double as our packaging facility. We handle production, mentoring and marketing all under one roof. If a farmer encounters difficulties, we can draw on the expertise we have developed to assist them," he explains.

Over time, his company has become a valued resource for local producers. "We help producers who are struggling to sell their produce - either by purchasing it directly or organising sales on their behalf. At the same time, we are also expanding our own farm to increase output," he adds.

Agripreneurs take part in a laboratory session at the Sangmelima Youth Agribusiness Incubation Centre The stories of Bisih and Ngot illustrate the broader impact of the ENABLE Youth programme in Cameroon, which is implemented as part of the Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (PD-CVA). The project received €89.291 million in funding from the African Development Bank Group.

The initiative aims to foster a new generation of agricultural entrepreneurs by drawing on young university graduates. Through a structured incubation process, these young people are trained to view agriculture as a viable economic activity rather than merely a means of subsistence.

As part of this initiative, 12 Youth Agribusiness Incubation Centres (YABICs) have been established across five regions in Cameroon - the Centre, East, South, Littoral and South-West - with technical support from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). These centres offer young people comprehensive training in modern agricultural production, processing, marketing and management, whilst guiding them as they establish and grow their businesses.

To date, 1,536 young people have been trained in agribusiness and the preparation of bankable business plans, leading to the creation of at least 600 agribusinesses -- 40 percent of them run by women - and contributing to the revival of rural economies.

The project also addresses the broader agricultural ecosystem on which these entrepreneurial ventures depend . Its infrastructure component includes the rehabilitation of 100 kilometres of rural tracks to link production areas to markets, the construction of storage facilities and rural markets, and the strengthening of producer organisations.

By combining structural investment with agripreneur incubation, the project helps create conditions for modern agricultural enterprises to take root and grow.

For Christian Bisih and Nnengue Ngot - and for hundreds of young people like them -- agriculture has become far more than a traditional livelihood: it is a hub for innovation, entrepreneurship and employment in Cameroon.

Christian Bisih proudly presents her packaged product. See project details