The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, has urged African countries to invest more in science, research and innovation, saying the continent must move beyond consuming agricultural technologies developed elsewhere and become a global centre of agricultural knowledge and scientific excellence.
Kyari spoke at the official opening ceremony of the 9th Africa Agriculture Science Week and the 10th General Assembly of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa, saying Africa’s vast natural resources alone could not guarantee prosperity without investments in knowledge, innovation and enterprise.
According to him, “Africa is richly-endowed with fertile lands, diverse ecosystems, abundant biodiversity and one of the youngest populations in the world. Yet history has shown repeatedly that natural resources alone do not create prosperity. Prosperity is created when knowledge becomes innovation, when innovation becomes enterprise, and when enterprise creates opportunities that improve the lives of ordinary people”.
He described the Africa Agriculture Science Week as more than a scientific conference, noting that it remained the continent’s foremost platform for exchanging knowledge, building partnerships, influencing policy and advancing scientific solutions capable of transforming Africa’s agrifood systems.
Kyari said the administration of President Bola Tinubu had placed agriculture at the centre of the Renewed Hope Agenda because food security was inseparable from national security, economic prosperity, and social stability.
He said the Federal Government was expanding irrigation and all-season farming, strengthening agricultural mechanisation, improving access to quality seeds and fertilisers, expanding agricultural finance, promoting digital agriculture, and supporting agro-industrial development.
The minister also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to agricultural research and innovation through investments in national agricultural research institutes, universities, extension systems, and strategic partnerships.
According to him, science remained the driving force behind every successful agricultural transformation, while research helped reduce uncertainty, inform policy, attract investment, and equip farmers with the technologies needed to thrive.
Highlighting the growing role of technology in agriculture, Kyari said artificial intelligence, satellite technologies, biotechnology, digital platforms, and data science were opening new opportunities for the sector. He said, “Together, these emerging technologies present Africa with an extraordinary opportunity, not simply to adopt innovations developed elsewhere, but to become a global leader in generating agricultural technologies that respond to our own ecological realities, production systems, and development aspirations”.
The minister stressed that achieving this ambition would require sustained investment in research systems, universities, innovation hubs, digital infrastructure and scientific talent, as well as stronger collaboration among governments, researchers, development partners, the private sector and farmers.
He further stated that the future of African agriculture would depend on the quality of its science and institutions rather than the size of its natural resources. “The future of African agriculture will not be determined solely by the size of our farms or the extent of our natural resources. It will be determined by the strength of our institutions, the quality of our science, and our willingness to invest consistently in knowledge”, Kyari said.
He added that research should move beyond scientific publications and deliver practical outcomes that improve productivity, create jobs, strengthen climate resilience, and drive economic growth.
The minister called for stronger continental collaboration to address challenges such as climate change, emerging pests and diseases, land degradation, market volatility, and food insecurity. “As we begin this important week of dialogue and reflection, let us ensure that the ideas we exchange here do not remain within the walls of this conference hall. Let them become improved technologies in our laboratories, better policies in our governments, profitable enterprises for our young people, higher incomes for our farmers, healthier diets for our families, and renewed confidence in Africa’s capacity to feed itself and contribute meaningfully to global food systems”, he said.
Also speaking, the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, said the livestock sector remained critical to achieving a resilient and sustainable agri-food system across Africa.
Maiha said while crop production often dominated discussions on agricultural transformation, livestock production is a key pillar of economic empowerment, nutritional security, and rural livelihoods. He said, “Livestock production is not merely an appendage to agriculture. It is a central pillar of economic empowerment, nutritional security and rural livelihood resilience”.
The minister lamented that despite Africa’s huge livestock population, the continent still depended heavily on imported animal protein. “In Africa, we probably have 350 million cattle, 400 million sheep, 300 million sheep, 400 million goats, 20 million camels, and 50 million pigs. Yet, many of us go hungry. Yet, many of our protein sources from animals are imported into this continent. This is not sustainable”, he said.
Maiha said the Ministry of Livestock Development, created in July 2024, was driving reforms through the National Livestock Master Plan and the National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy.
According to him, the government aims to transform livestock production through sustainable production systems, infrastructural development, conflict resolution, value chain enhancement, and increased private-sector participation.
“We are transitioning from traditional vulnerable practices to commercially-viable, climate-smart livestock systems. This transition presents a massive frontier for investment. Nigeria is targeting to grow the sector from its current base value of 32 billion dollars to 74 billion dollars in three years, and this is achievable”, he said.
He called on researchers and development partners to develop drought-resistant products, advanced artificial insemination technologies, and stronger disease surveillance systems to support the transformation of the livestock sector.
The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa is the continent’s apex organisation for coordinating and promoting agricultural research and innovation. The body works with African governments, national agricultural research systems, universities, regional organisations, development partners and the private sector to strengthen science-led solutions for food security, climate resilience, and sustainable agricultural transformation across Africa.
