The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) has renewed its call to engage African youth in agricultural technology innovation and adoption, as the 2025 edition of the African Conference on Agricultural Technology (ACAT) came to a close in Kigali with a resounding plea for action and collaboration.
On the final day of the four-day summit, delegates were treated to an array of groundbreaking innovations during project showcases and demonstrations.
One standout was a portable, battery-powered real-time LAMP assay device presented by Jovia Kamatenesi of the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board.
The device, priced at about $8,000, detects Cassava Brown Streak Ipomoviruses, revolutionising plant disease diagnostics and enabling farmers to act quickly to protect yields.
Also featured was Kigali Rabbit Farm’s artificial insemination (AI) programme, which demonstrated how technology is improving breeding efficiency and livelihoods through a comprehensive system of evaluation, storage, insemination, and performance tracking.
At a plenary session themed “Stewardship: Cultivating a Sustainable Future with Ag-Tech Solutions,” speakers underscored the urgent need for transparent, sustainable, and inclusive agri-tech policies.
They called for stronger public-private partnerships, support for local innovators, improved access to finance, and youth empowerment to unlock Africa’s agricultural potential.
“Africa’s agricultural transformation is not a distant goal, it’s a present-day imperative,” declared Ambassador Professor Muhammadou Kah, a member of AATF’s Board of Trustees.
He proposed launching a continental Youth Leadership and Fellowship Programme in Ag-Tech, targeting the training and funding of at least 10,000 youth innovators by 2027.
AUDA-NEPAD representative Olalekan Akinbo presented the progress of the continent’s Genome Editing Programme, emphasising its alignment with Agenda 2063 and its focus on zero hunger.
He stressed the importance of building scientific capacity, effective communication with policymakers, and ensuring African-led innovation. “Science in Africa should be by Africans, for Africa,” he stated.
In his closing address, AATF Executive Director Dr Canisius Kanangire described the event as electrifying and thanked the Government of Rwanda for its hospitality.
He reiterated the Foundation’s commitment to engaging youth and farmers at the centre of Africa’s agricultural future.
Former Nigerian President Dr Goodluck Jonathan, speaking at the closing ceremony, urged African governments to act decisively in supporting smallholder farmers and youth employment through agriculture.
“Don’t wait until retirement to go into farming,” Jonathan said, as he urged young Africans to embrace agriculture as a viable and prosperous career path.
Rwanda’s Minister of Agriculture, Dr Cyubahiro Mark Bagabe, affirmed the country’s leadership in championing agricultural transformation and technological innovation across the continent.
The conference ended with the adoption of the Kigali Declaration, a set of actionable commitments to scale agricultural technology, improve regulatory frameworks, and promote youth and private sector involvement across food systems.
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