African leaders, legislators, and stakeholders have reaffirmed the need for increased investment and quicker implementation of agricultural technologies to improve food security throughout the continent.
African leaders convened high-level talks on the second day of the African Conference on Agricultural Technology (ACAT) 2025 in Kigali, Rwanda, to empower farmers and promote 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, including 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’.
Panellists 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 and urged 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.
Panellists 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 and mainstream gender inclusion and increase research investment.
Rwanda’s Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Dr. Mark Cyubahiro Bagabe, emphasised the centrality of smallholder farmers in all policy and innovation decisions.
“This is about defining the investments we seek and shaping the partnerships we need,” he emphasised.
As former President Jonathan emphasised, achieving agricultural transformation in Africa requires collective effort, as no single entity can accomplish it alone.
The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), through its Executive Director, Dr. Canisius Kanangire, stressed the importance of nurturing the agricultural foundation, noting that a nation’s food security depends on “the seed in the soil,” not just the planted seed.
The ACAT 2025 participants are collectively committed to making agriculture a resilient, inclusive, and technology-driven sector, guaranteeing food security for future generations.
Source: Tribune Online
Image Credit: Top Africa News
