Tinubu Pushes Science-Driven Agriculture as Africa's Food Import Bill Climbs to $122.9bn

Tinubu Pushes Science-Driven Agriculture as Africa’s Food Import Bill Climbs to $122.9bn
Says Africa Must Invest in Science to End Food Insecurity
41 of 46 African countries still spend below the African Union’s benchmark of 1 per cent of agricultural GDP on research and development

President Bola Tinubu has urged African governments to make sustained investments in science, research and innovation to tackle food insecurity, climate change and poor agricultural productivity, warning that the continent’s vast agricultural potential will remain unrealised without knowledge-driven development, Eko Hot Blog reports.

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Speaking at the opening of the 9th Africa Agriculture Science Week (AASW) and the 10th General Assembly of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) in Abuja on Monday, Tinubu said Africa’s agricultural future would depend more on the strength of its scientific institutions than the abundance of its natural resources.

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Represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, the President said countries that have achieved prosperity first invested in agricultural science and innovation to guarantee food security.

“Before countries became prosperous, they first learned how to feed their people, and before they transformed agriculture, they invested in science,” Tinubu said.

He noted that although Africa is endowed with vast arable land, rich biodiversity and one of the world’s youngest populations, those advantages would remain underutilised unless converted into innovation, enterprise and economic opportunities.

Tinubu described the Africa Agriculture Science Week as the continent’s foremost platform for shaping agricultural policies, strengthening partnerships and advancing scientific solutions capable of transforming Africa’s agrifood systems.

He said his administration had placed agriculture at the centre of the Renewed Hope Agenda, stressing that food security is directly linked to national security, economic prosperity and social stability.

According to him, the Federal Government is implementing reforms across the agricultural value chain, including expanding irrigation and all-season farming, increasing mechanisation, improving access to quality seeds and fertilisers, expanding agricultural financing, promoting digital agriculture and supporting agro-industrial development.

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The President also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening agricultural research institutes, universities and extension services, insisting that sustainable agricultural transformation must be driven by scientific evidence.

He identified artificial intelligence, biotechnology, satellite technology, digital platforms and data science as emerging technologies capable of transforming African agriculture and urged African countries to develop homegrown solutions tailored to the continent’s unique production systems.

Tinubu called for stronger collaboration among governments, researchers, development partners, private investors and farmers, stressing that research should translate into higher productivity, job creation, climate resilience, improved nutrition and economic growth.

Meanwhile, a report presented by the Managing Director of AKADEMIYA2063, Dr. Debisi Araba, revealed that Africa’s agricultural import bill rose to $122.9 billion in 2022 following disruptions caused by the Russia-Ukraine war, exposing the continent’s dependence on imported food despite possessing nearly two-thirds of the world’s uncultivated arable land.

Araba said intra-African agricultural trade still accounts for less than 20 per cent of total agricultural trade, compared with over 50 per cent in Asia, blaming restrictive sanitary and phytosanitary regulations and other non-tariff barriers for limiting regional trade.

He said full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area could increase intra-African agricultural trade by 29 per cent, strengthen regional value chains and reduce dependence on food imports.

The agricultural economist disclosed that 845 million Africans, representing 58 per cent of the continent’s population, are moderately or severely food insecure, while 62 per cent of preschool-aged children suffer deficiencies in iron, zinc or vitamin A.

Despite the challenges, he noted that agriculture remains Africa’s largest employer, accounting for 63 per cent of total employment, even as 72 million young Africans are neither in employment, education nor training.

“Hunger and jobs are the same agenda,” Araba said, stressing that transforming agriculture presents Africa’s greatest opportunity to reduce poverty, create employment and improve food security.

He also highlighted opportunities in emerging sectors such as black soldier fly farming, saying Africa’s 99 million tonnes of municipal bio-waste could support an industry capable of contributing $211 billion annually to the continent’s GDP, creating 17 million full-time jobs and lifting 22 million people out of poverty each year.

Araba, however, warned that Africa continues to underinvest in agricultural research and innovation, revealing that 41 of 46 African countries still spend below the African Union’s benchmark of 1 per cent of agricultural GDP on research and development.

He urged African governments to increase investments in research, innovation, institutional capacity and regional integration to achieve the African Union’s agricultural transformation targets and build resilient food systems.