TGI Group’s Fludor Ghana Promotes Youth Engagement in Agriculture at Yale Model Conference
The fifth edition of the Yale Model African Union (YMAU) concluded successfully in Accra, uniting over 300 delegates, policymakers, industry leaders, and entrepreneurs from across Africa and the diaspora for three days of dialogue, innovation, and collaboration. Held from 13 to 15 March 2026 under the theme “Imagine, Challenge & Build the Africa We Want,” the landmark conference celebrated five years of promoting youth leadership and policy engagement across the continent.
The programme featured a range of activities, including simulations of African Union committees, leadership workshops, the Mandate-to-Market Innovation Pitch Contest, and a University and Career Fair. A key highlight was the panel session titled “Designing the Future: Creativity at the Intersection of Policy and Enterprise,” which examined how innovation, policy formulation, and private sector leadership can work together to foster sustainable development and economic transformation.
Among the notable speakers was Dennis Sampong, Country Director of Fludor Ghana, a subsidiary of TGI Group. Drawing from his extensive experience in Ghana’s agricultural sector, Mr. Sampong shared insights on the urgent need to involve youth in the cocoa value chain and the importance of private sector engagement in shaping policy outcomes.
Addressing a room full of young leaders and aspiring policymakers, Mr. Sampong highlighted the demographic drivers of Africa’s development agenda.
“The future of Africa is the youth. If you look at Ghana, more than 60% of the population are under the age of 35. Anything we’re doing now is going to be the youth’s future,” he said. “Nobody can do better for Africa except ourselves.”
He further highlighted the challenges facing Ghana’s cocoa sector, noting that the average farmer is between 55 and 60 years old, and emphasised the need to attract young people into agriculture through modern technologies.
“If our farmers used to use cutlasses and hoes to cultivate cocoa, what other technologies can we introduce? As part of our training programmes, we encourage young people to go into cocoa farming and adopt modern methods.”
Sampong was joined on the panel by Audrey S-Darko (CEO, Sabon Sake), Jide Pratt (Country Pilot Manager, TradeGrid), and moderator Ericka K. Tenta (Co-Head of Panel Strategy, Yale Africa Startup Review). The panel underscored the importance of collaboration between policymakers, entrepreneurs, and private sector organisations in turning policy ideas into practical and scalable development solutions.
The Yale Model African Union also featured keynote addresses from Tara Squire, Executive Director of Consumer Banking at Ecobank Ghana, and Ambassador Kabral Blay-Amhère, Vice President of the Council on Foreign Relations-Ghana. Other speakers included Hon. George Opare Addo, Ghana’s Minister of Youth Development and Engagement; Ambassador Rosemary Mbabazi of Rwanda; and Dr. Festus Kofi Aubyn of WANEP, among others.
Fludor Ghana’s participation was part of TGI Group’s broader involvement at the conference as a sponsor and exhibitor at the career fair, reinforcing the organisation’s commitment to supporting youth empowerment across Africa.