Nigeria tasks Africa’s scientists to anchor agric transformation on science, not circumstance

Omeiza Bilal

Nigeria’s Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, has called on African nations to prioritise scientific investment as the foundation for agricultural transformation, warning that fertile soils and favourable climates alone cannot drive the continent’s food security agenda.

Abdullahi spoke on Tuesday while declaring open the Science and Partnership for Agriculture Conference (SPAC) 2026, a component of the 9th Africa Agriculture Science Week and the 10th General Assembly of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), held in Abuja.

“Nations do not transform their agriculture merely because they possess fertile soils, favorable climates or abundant natural resources. They transform their agriculture because they invest in knowledge,” the minister said.

He noted that while Africa has built strong national agricultural research institutions since independence, the continent has struggled with what he described as insufficient “institutional convergence” among researchers, universities, regional bodies and development partners.

“We had excellence, but excellence was often dispersed across institutions rather than strategically aligned around a shared continental vision,” Abdullahi said, adding that FARA had addressed this gap by creating SPAC as a continental platform for collective strategy-setting rather than another scientific conference.

The minister said SPAC had deepened cooperation between the African Union and the European Union in agricultural research and strengthened alignment between African priorities and global bodies such as CGIAR. 

He said the platform is now working toward a Continental Agricultural Research Agenda to guide research investment across Africa.

Abdullahi urged researchers to embrace frontier technologies including artificial intelligence, biotechnology, digital agriculture, genomics and remote sensing, arguing that agriculture is no longer shaped solely by rainfall and soil fertility.

“These realities demand a new generation of scientists with a good appreciation of science that is multidisciplinary, digitally enabled, climate-smart, commercially relevant, and capable of delivering practical solutions at scale,” he said.

He added that research success should be measured not by publication counts but by tangible impact on farmers’ livelihoods, youth employment and agribusiness growth.

Citing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Abdullahi said Nigeria was pursuing reforms centred on research, mechanisation, climate resilience and stronger partnerships between government, private enterprise and farming communities.

“That is why SPAC matters. It is more than a conference. It is a continental commitment to ensuring that African science remains at the center of Africa’s agricultural transformation,” he said.

In his welcome address, the Executive Secretary of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), Dr. Abubakar Adamu Dabban, said Nigeria is honoured to host the two events, describing them as a sign of Africa’s commitment to transforming agriculture through research, innovation and partnerships.

According to him, “Through sustained investment in agricultural research, innovation and technology, we can build resilient agrifood systems, enhance productivity, ensure food and nutrition security, and improve the livelihoods of millions of Africans.”

Speaking on the theme “Innovations and Partnerships for Resilient and Sustainable Agrifood Systems in Africa,” he noted that challenges of climate change, food insecurity and low productivity can only be overcome through collaboration and science-driven solutions. 

“Let us work together to create a future where no African goes hungry,” Dabban added.

In a presentation titled “The State of African Agrifood Systems: Harnessing Innovation and Partnerships to Achieve CAADP/Kampala Targets”, Managing Director, AKADEMIYA 2063, Dr. Debisi Araba appraised the performance of CAADP more than two decades after its adoption in 2003.

He traced the evolution from Maputo, which put agriculture at the highest level of decision making, to Malabo, which widened the frame to tackle hunger, poverty, trade, resilience and mutual accountability through the Biennial Review, to Kampala, the first phase of CAADP to launch with a theory of change and results framework from the outset.

“We proved we could restore agricultural growth between 2003 and 2013. What we haven’t achieved yet is matching that ambition with adequate financing,” he said.

Dr. Araba identified under-investment in innovation, weak technology adoption and institutional capacity gaps as key challenges, noting that “technologies exist but adoption doesn’t.”

To supercharge the achievement of CAADP, he urged Africa to acquire know-how, invest in institutional capability, and share lessons among countries with humility.

Speaking during the event, Chairperson of the FARA Board of Directors, Ms. Bongiwe Njobe, described the conference as Africa’s premier platform for shaping agricultural science, technology and innovation priorities.

She said the gathering comes at a critical time when climate change, food insecurity and environmental degradation are threatening livelihoods across the continent.

“Science, technology and innovation are the engines that will convert political commitments into measurable results at farm and household level,” 

She commended Nigeria for being among the first countries to begin domesticating the Kampala Declaration, describing the move as an important demonstration of political commitment to transforming Africa’s agrifood systems.

Njobe also urged governments, research institutions, development partners and the private sector to invest in inclusive innovation that empowers women, youth and vulnerable groups while strengthening institutional capacity and financing mechanisms needed to implement Africa’s agricultural transformation agenda.

Representing African farmers, the Chief Executive Officer of the Pan African Farmers’ Organization (PAFO), Dr. Babafemi Oyewole, called for farmers to be recognized as equal partners in agricultural research rather than passive beneficiaries.

In attendance were Government officials, Agricultural Scientists, Policy Makers, Innovators, Development Partners, among others.