AL for Agribusiness Network
PRACTICE AREA
Impact networks
REGION
Pan-African
INVESTMENT YEARS
2020-2023
IN 2022
- 231 active members
- 365 young leaders attending 29 ALAN events
African Leadership Academy’s AL for Agribusiness Network (ALAN) is a network that supports and develops young leaders who will contribute to the transformation of the agriculture sector across Africa. ALAN does so by guiding aspiring agri-preneurs in their efforts to build innovative ventures that will drive productivity and job creation in their communities, providing career opportunities and fostering relationships across the African agricultural ecosystem. Small Foundation supports ALAN’s core network activities, including its network effectiveness and impact measurement.
ALAN Lead Dimakatso Nono Sekhoto visiting network members at University Aboma Calavi in Benin.
Systems lens
Agriculture is the largest sector in economies across Africa, with massive potential for innovation and growth, but little power to attract young, educated Africans setting out into careers. ALAN attracts and supports young leaders, facilitating diverse and rewarding career pathways into agriculture by connecting them with key stakeholders along the agriculture value chain. This leads to an increased pool of talent available and willing to work in agribusinesses and rural SMEs over time, as well as bringing together talented young African leaders to address agribusiness ecosystem challenges such as management capability for rural SMEs.
Partner perspective
“As I reflect on the past 3 years since the inception of ALAN I am proud of how the network has evolved: 120% increase in connections and 260% in number of collaborations between our most engaged members. Through the partnership with Small Foundation, the ALAN team got access to Converge’s Network Leadership Series training and ongoing support. These enabled us to understand how to cultivate the network to be where it is today. Through the use of tools and best practices acquired in this learning, we intentionally implemented strategies that would contribute to the network’s health. This included focusing on activities such as clarifying the purpose earlier on, convening the participants once we knew them better, cultivating trust through specific engagements, and coordinating actions that have led to the collaboration that we see in the network.”
Nono Dimakatso Sekhoto,
Sector Lead,
AL for Agribusiness Network,
African Leadership Academy
30 Merrion Square North
Dublin 2, D02 VE40
Ireland
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