Twenty-four-year-old Ghanaian entrepreneur and CEO of PureLube, Fareeda Mustapha, says the agricultural and food systems sector holds enormous opportunities for job creation for Africa's youth.

In a question to Rwanda President Paul Kagame at the Presidential/Youth Townhall during the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) in Rwanda, she said, “I believe our food systems hold enormous opportunities to change that narrative for young Africans out there.”

Ms Mustapha joined four other young people from Tanzania, Zambia and Rwanda to engage the President on opportunities for the youth in food systems.

“For me, this question is quite personal because as a young entrepreneur, I have faced both the challenge of trying to find meaningful opportunities and creating them myself through innovations,” she said to President Kagame.

“Millions of young people enter the job market every year… What must governments do differently to make the agrifood system the major engine of job creation?”

In response, President Kagame, who served as chairperson of the African Union between 2018 and 2019, called for policies that support young people, particularly to improve access to agricultural financing. “Government has to find a way of de-risking a number of things. A mechanism can be put in place to make sure that people are supported to do what they can do,” he said.

“In any case, if you organise it properly, you will find that those you supported will get returns for the efforts. And they will be able to pay back if you want them to. And for those loans that cannot come back, the governments should find a way of absorbing that,” President Kagame urged other African leaders.

The Presidential/Youth Townhall at the AFSF brought the president and young African leaders into a direct dialogue on how to improve Africa’s agri-food systems under the theme “Investing in Leadership.” Other panel members included Mr Musa Mishamo, founder of Rada360 in Tanzania; Mr Imungana Malikana, founder of Cranitech Software Solutions Limited in Zambia; and Ms Lydia Murekatete, founder of All Greens in Rwanda.

More on PureLube
Ms Mustapha told President Kagame that PureLube turns cashew waste into high-performance industrial lubricant (grease) for machinery, helping to reduce reliance on costly imported lubricants. The company is working with 3,000 farmers and has created 23 jobs.

Founded in 2024 in Tamale, PureLube aims to become the leading provider of accessible, high-quality cashew-based grease for mechanics, dealers, farmers and factories. The award-winning company seeks to drive local cashew value addition and create jobs.

In 2025, Ms Mustapha won the Impact Award at the 2025 GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize in Dakar, Senegal, receiving US$15,000 to invest in PureLube. Prior to that, PureLube emerged as the top winner of the 2025 AgriTech Challenge Pro in Ghana, walking away with a prize of $25,000 at the close of the two-day pitch competition hosted by the Kosmos Innovation Centre (KIC) in Accra.

In a post on social media after engaging President Kagame, Ms Mustapha said: “It was an honour to engage directly with you and ask a question that reflects a challenge I deeply care about as a young African entrepreneur.”

“Standing on that stage reminded me that our voices, ideas, and questions have a place in the rooms where Africa’s future is being shaped. Grateful to AGRA for creating opportunities like this and for giving young Africans a platform to contribute to conversations on transforming our food systems,” she said.

More on AFSF
The 20th edition of the Africa Food Systems Forum, held from September 1–4, 2026, at the Kigali Convention Centre, brought together stakeholders from across Africa and beyond under the theme: “Investing in Africa’s Agri-Food Systems: Nourishing Nations, Growing Jobs, Building Resilience.” With support from AGRA, Ghana was represented by a delegation that included the Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, John Dumelo, and a group of young agripreneurs.

AGRA Ghana Country Director, Dr Betty Annan, expressed optimism that Ghana’s participation, particularly the involvement of young agripreneurs, would yield significant benefits for the country’s food systems sector.

“We have seen the youth’s exhibitions. We have seen some of them pitch their businesses. And we are hoping that in the end, they will be able to sell their businesses well and get investors,” Dr Annan said.