Jonathan urges African leaders to turn farm pledges into action

Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has called on African governments to move beyond policy declarations on agriculture and commit the resources and actions needed to deliver food security, jobs and economic growth.

Jonathan made the call on Wednesday at an Investors Forum organised by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) in Kigali, Rwanda, on the sidelines of the African Food Systems Forum.

The forum, which attracted more than 5,000 participants from over 50 countries, was held under the theme, “Investing in Africa’s Agri-Food Systems.”

Speaking on the continent’s agricultural challenges, Jonathan said Africa already had several policy frameworks for transforming its food systems, but implementation remained the critical gap.

He cited the African Union’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme and the Malabo Declaration as examples of continental commitments that must now translate into measurable investments and results for farmers.

“Turning this agenda from declaration into tangible impact requires three elements working in concert: proven technologies that raise productivity and strengthen resilience; patient capital that enables long-term investment and growth; and commercialization at scale that connects innovation to markets and farmers to opportunity,” he said.

Jonathan argued that agriculture should occupy a central position in Africa’s development strategy because the sector is closely linked to food security, industrialisation, employment and climate resilience.

“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.

He identified climate shocks, population growth, limited opportunities for young people and inadequate storage, processing and market access as some of the major pressures confronting African food systems.

Jonathan, who is an AATF Goodwill Ambassador for Agricultural Technology, called for stronger collaboration among governments, research institutions, private investors, farmers’ organisations, development partners and donors.

He particularly stressed the need to take agricultural innovations beyond laboratories and pilot programmes and deploy proven technologies on a scale that benefits farmers across the continent.

Speaking earlier at a youth-focused session, “Igniting Youth Food Systems Leadership,” Jonathan urged African countries to encourage young people to participate in agriculture by providing incentives that can support investment, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Reflecting on his experience as Nigeria’s president, he said sustained investment in agriculture could create employment, improve household incomes and strengthen food security.

Jonathan said this conviction informed his decision to accept AATF’s invitation to serve as its Goodwill Ambassador for Agricultural Technology.

He commended the foundation for its work over the past two decades in promoting agricultural technologies and supporting policy and regulatory systems that enable innovations to be adopted.

Jonathan urged the organisation to focus on expanding the reach of technologies that have already demonstrated results while simultaneously developing new solutions for farmers.

“AATF’s next decade will be shaped by two priorities that must advance together: scaling technologies that have already been proven to reach farmers’ fields, and developing the next generation of solutions for our farmers,” he said.

He also called on investors and development partners at the forum to establish long-term partnerships with AATF and support its programmes with capital, expertise and networks.

“Neither can succeed without capital and partners willing to support an African institution with a verifiable track record,” Jonathan said.

The former president said the investors’ forum should serve as the beginning of sustained engagement between AATF and prospective partners as the foundation seeks to mobilise resources for its priorities over the next five to 10 years.

Jonathan maintained that Africa had already articulated its vision for agricultural transformation, adding that the priority should now be financing and implementing those commitments to produce results at scale.