AUTHOR=Chirinda Ngonidzashe , Abdulkader Bisan , Hjortsø Carsten Nico , Aitelkadi Kenza , Salako Kolawolé Valère , Taarji Noamane , Mhada Manal , Lamdaghri Zidane , Romanova Gergana , Assogbadjo Achille Ephrem , Chadare Flora Josiane , Saidi Mwanarusi , Sassi Maria , Mugonola Basil , Gogo Elisha Otieno , Ssekandi Joseph , Okalany Emmanuel , Egeru Anthony , Mshenga Patience Mlongo , Chfadi Tarik TITLE=Perspectives on the integration of agri-entrepreneurship in tertiary agricultural education in Africa: insights from the AgriENGAGE project JOURNAL=Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems VOLUME=8 YEAR=2024 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1348167 DOI=10.3389/fsufs.2024.1348167 ISSN=2571-581X ABSTRACT=

The underperformance of agricultural education systems in Africa is evident through various indicators such as increased unemployment among recent agricultural graduates, inefficiencies in agricultural product value chains, and a decline in enrollment in agricultural schools. The AgriENGAGE project, which included eight African universities, was supported through the Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education program funded by the European Commission to address these challenges. The project aimed to contribute toward revitalizing agricultural education systems to stimulate agricultural transformation and enhance the sector’s competitiveness while meeting the labor market’s demands. This article draws on lessons learned at eight universities to provide a perspective on agri-entrepreneurship education integration in African universities. We provide descriptions, experiences, and insights on agri-entrepreneurship education integration in partner universities in Kenya, Benin, Morocco, and Uganda. Based on these experiences, we provide perspectives on reducing youth unemployment and improving the effectiveness of agricultural education in contributing to the development of sustainable food systems.