By Abbas Nazil
Former Nigerian President and African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) Goodwill Ambassador for Agricultural Technology, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, has urged African leaders to move beyond agricultural declarations and political commitments and take concrete action to improve productivity, strengthen food security, create jobs and drive economic prosperity across the continent.
Jonathan made the call at an AATF Investors Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, held on the sidelines of the African Food Systems Forum, where more than 5,000 participants from over 50 countries are gathered to discuss investment in Africa’s agri-food systems.
Speaking during a youth-focused session titled “Igniting Youth Food Systems Leadership,” Jonathan urged African countries to encourage young people to embrace agriculture by providing incentives and investment opportunities that can support their participation, innovation and leadership in the sector.
He said transforming Africa’s agricultural ambitions into tangible results would require three key elements working together: proven technologies that increase productivity and resilience, patient capital to support long-term investment and growth, and commercialisation at scale to connect innovations and farmers with markets.
Jonathan said agricultural transformation could no longer remain confined to policy frameworks and political commitments, stressing that the continent’s future was closely connected to the performance of its agricultural sector.
According to him, Africa’s food security, industrialisation, youth employment and ability to withstand climate change are all dependent on a productive and resilient agricultural system.
“Put simply, if Africa is to achieve the growth, prosperity, and development to which it aspires, agriculture must be at the center of our efforts,” he said.
The former president noted that African governments had already demonstrated political commitment to agricultural transformation through continental frameworks, including the African Union’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme and the Malabo Declaration.
He, however, said the immediate challenge was to translate those commitments into measurable investments, effective policies and programmes that reach farmers and deliver tangible outcomes.
Jonathan described Africa’s food systems as being at a critical crossroads, citing increasingly frequent and severe climate shocks, rapid population growth, limited economic opportunities for young people and persistent gaps in storage, processing and market access.
He called for stronger partnerships among governments, research institutions, private-sector organisations, farmer groups, development partners, donors and investors to address the challenges confronting the continent’s food systems.
Jonathan also identified agricultural technology as a major driver of transformation, saying proven innovations should be moved beyond laboratories and pilot projects and deployed at scale to farmers across Africa.
He said his experience as Nigeria’s president reinforced his conviction that sustained investment in agriculture could create employment, increase household incomes and strengthen food security.
Jonathan said the conviction contributed to his decision to accept AATF’s invitation to serve as its Goodwill Ambassador for Agricultural Technology.
He commended AATF for its work over the past two decades in advancing agricultural technologies and supporting the policy and regulatory environments necessary for innovation to be adopted and scaled.
The former president called for continued public-private collaboration to ensure that proven agricultural technologies reach farmers while investment is mobilised to develop the next generation of solutions.
He said AATF’s next phase should focus simultaneously on scaling technologies that have already demonstrated their effectiveness and developing new solutions capable of addressing emerging challenges facing African farmers.
Jonathan further urged investors and development partners participating in the forum to regard themselves as partners in Africa’s agricultural transformation rather than simply participants.
He said capital, expertise and strategic networks would be essential for supporting AATF’s priorities and expanding agricultural innovations across the continent.
He expressed the hope that the investors’ forum would initiate sustained engagement between AATF and potential partners as the organisation seeks to mobilise resources for its priorities over the next five to ten years.
Jonathan’s call comes as African countries continue to face interconnected challenges involving food insecurity, climate change, population growth, youth unemployment and inadequate investment in agricultural value chains.
He maintained that agriculture should therefore be treated not merely as a sector of the economy but as a central engine of Africa’s economic transformation, capable of driving food security, employment, resilience and broader development.
The 2026 African Food Systems Forum, taking place in Kigali from August 31 to September 5, is bringing together governments, investors, policymakers, scientists, entrepreneurs and young innovators to advance investment and practical implementation across Africa’s food systems.
