Food security: African leaders call for increased investment, technology in agriculture

African leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders have renewed their call for greater investment and the accelerated adoption of agricultural technologies to boost food security across the continent.

The second day of the African Conference on Agricultural Technology (ACAT) 2025 in Kigali, Rwanda, saw a convergence of high-level discussions from African leaders aimed at empowering farmers and driving inclusive innovation in agriculture.

In a keynote address at the official opening ceremony, Rwanda’s Prime Minister, Dr. Édouard Ngirente, stressed the importance of building supportive ecosystems that include enabling policies, improved infrastructure, and better access to finance.

“The voices and agency of farmers themselves must shape the solutions we develop and promote,” Ngirente stated.

He urged delegates to use the platform to forge partnerships that translate ideas into tangible impacts for smallholder farmers.

Former Nigerian President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan emphasised that no single actor or country can transform African agriculture alone.

“Africa must make progress and move forward. It’s time for governments, the private sector, civil society, and farmers to work hand-in-hand,” Jonathan said.

The Nigerian ex-President called for strengthened biosafety regulations, rural infrastructure investment, and agricultural budget alignment to reassure investors and drive sustainable growth.

A series of panel sessions set the tone for the day, beginning with ‘Financing AgTech Solutions: Aligning Capital, Risk, and Innovation’.

Panelists highlighted the need for private sector involvement, youth inclusion, and risk-sharing mechanisms to support innovation.

Hannington Namara, Managing Director of Equity Bank Rwanda, announced that the bank will allocate at least 30 per cent of its loan portfolio to agriculture, urging other financial institutions to follow suit.

Another key session, ‘Charting a Collaborative Roadmap for Quality Partnerships’, focused on aligning the goals of various stakeholders and breaking down silos between researchers, communicators, and implementers.

Panelists at the Conference stressed that partnerships thrive on trust, vision alignment, and shared responsibility.

The ministerial dialogue featured representatives from six African nations: Rwanda, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Nigeria.

The Ministers pledged to enhance access to AgTech, mainstream gender inclusion, and increase research investment.

Rwanda’s Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Dr. Mark Cyubahiro Bagabe, emphasised the need to place smallholder farmers at the heart of all policy and innovation decisions.

“This is about defining the investments we seek and shaping the partnerships we need,” he emphasised.

Dr. Canisius Kanangire, Executive Director of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), reiterated the urgency of action, stating, “It is not the seed in the field that feeds the nation; it is the seed in the soil.”

Participants at ACAT 2025 are unified in their resolve to transform agriculture into a more resilient, inclusive, and technology-driven sector that ensures food security for generations to come.

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