Vision, Goals, Values and Methods
Born from a commitment to inclusive, sustainable, and youth-led transformation, the Nkabom Collaborative brings together visionary institutions and local leadership to reimagine Ghana’s agri-food and nutrition systems.
Our Vision
The partners of the Nkabom Collaborative are working together guided by a shared vision to empower young people, equipping them with the practical skills, knowledge, and networks needed to transform Ghana’s agri-food and nutrition systems and contribute to more inclusive and sustainable communities.
Our Goals
This Collaborative builds on existing institutional strengths and partnerships to ensure that African leadership, expertise, and lived experience remain central to our approach. Through a networked model, we are reaching across sectors and borders, bridging education, research, industry, and community, to address challenges related to food security, youth unemployment, and nutrition.
Capacity building
Build the capacity of Ghana’s higher education institutions to deliver hands-on, relevant training in sustainable agriculture and nutrition, empowering youth to address national priorities in food security, climate adaptation, and public health.
Strengthen entrepreneurship ecosystems
Strengthen entrepreneurship ecosystems in and through Ghanaian universities to launch and scale youth-led ventures that drive innovation, inclusive growth, and job creation in the agri-food and nutrition sectors.
Equip the young people of Ghana with practical, interdisciplinary skills
Equip young people in Ghana with practical, interdisciplinary skills, from climate-smart farming and food innovation to leadership and policy engagement, to support the long-term transformation of the country’s food systems.
Create dignified and fulfilling employment opportunities
Create dignified and fulfilling employment opportunities through a dynamic network of Ghanaian universities, alumni, government agencies, farmers, NGOs, and private sector partners committed to advancing a resilient and inclusive agri-food future.
Our Values
As a Collaborative, we strive to live by these values to guide our engagement:
Togetherness (Nkabom)
We believe in the power of unity, shared purpose, and co-creation. Our name, Nkabom, meaning “togetherness” in Akan, reflects our core commitment to building collaborative relationships grounded in mutual trust, respect, and collective leadership.
Equity
We apply an equity lens across all activities to ensure fair access, representation, and outcomes for all.
Accountability
We commit to transparency, continuous learning, and measurable impact. We hold ourselves accountable to our communities, partners, and the youth we serve, ensuring our work delivers meaningful, lasting change and adapts responsively to emerging needs and insights.
Ethics
We uphold integrity and transparency across all activities, including research, recruitment, selection, and procurement, ensuring practices are fair, responsible, and community conscious.
Reciprocity
We foster ongoing, multi-directional engagement across the Collaborative. Our programs and processes are designed to ensure that all partners, whether institutions, communities, or young people, contribute to and benefit from shared knowledge, leadership, and results.
Our Methods
Our work is closely aligned with the Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works Strategy, which envisions dignified and fulfilling work for 30 million young people across Africa by 2030. It is also informed by the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), the African Union’s flagship framework for agricultural transformation, food and nutrition security, and economic growth. CAADP emphasizes inclusive, sustainable agriculture-led development, with a focus on improving livelihoods, increasing productivity, and creating jobs, especially for youth and women.
We also contribute directly to 10 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including goals related to poverty reduction, zero hunger, health, quality education, gender equality, decent work, innovation, reduced inequalities, responsible production, and climate action.
Together, these strategies shape our shared commitment to empowering youth as agents of change in resilient, nutrition-sensitive agri-food systems.
Our programs focus on practical, community-based learning, from climate-smart agriculture and nutrition innovation to business incubation and policy development. Central to our approach is a shift away from traditional, theory-based education toward experiential learning. By embedding real-world practice into every program, we equip youth with the tools and credentials for meaningful employment and entrepreneurship.
Aligned with our three strategic pillars, education, access and success, and entrepreneurship, Nkabom aims to expand high-quality training, create dignified work opportunities, and support youth-led innovation that fuels inclusive growth across Africa.
