The former Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan, has asked African governments to implement policies that guarantee the access of farmers to affordable credit, with the aim of improving the production and safety of food throughout the continent.
Jonathan emphasized the imperative of teasing loans in agriculture, pointing out that the challenge of providing the often required farmers for farmers by loan institutions is negatively affecting the growth of the sector.
The former president, who declared this at the Plenary of Opening of the second edition of the African Conference on Agricultural Technologies (ACAT), on Tuesday in Kigali, Rwanda, also accused the ministers of agriculture agriculture and that they focus on the attempt to improve food systems in the continent.
He said: “African governments must be deliberate with their policies to promote agriculture and encourage farmers. If the government does not support farmers, it will be difficult in this part of the world to produce enough food for our population.”
He also urged African central banks to take the initiative in the attempt to promote loans to farmers, emphasizing that the question of mocking loans to farmers is essential. “That is why I believe that the central banks of African countries must create models that encourage commercial banks to lend farmers.”
Jonathan, who is the Goodwill AATF ambassador, recalled that when he was president, his administration, through the Central Bank of Nigeria, he introduced the Nigerian incentive risk systems for agricultural loans (Nirsal). “It was an initiative of $ 350 million designed to eliminate risk loans to the agricultural sector. It became a successful program that assured that farmers had easy access to loans,” he said.
Continuing, he said: “The participation of total loans by banks assigned to the agricultural sector increased from 0.5% when we started to 5% for 2015”.
He also emphasized that the Ministers of Agriculture must have the motivation, competence and approach to direct the Ministry to ensure that relevant technology and techniques are applied to produce sufficient foods for the population. In this sense, he praised the competence of his Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akin Adesina, the current president of the African Development Bank (AFDB), added that his ingenuity assured that citizens were not hungry during the devastating floods of Nigeria in 2014.
Dr. Jonathan also delivered a passionate call for sustained investment and unity in the construction of the agricultural future of Africa. He said: “Africa is at a historic crossroads. On a road is the continuous fight with food insecurity; in the other there is a bold vision, Africa as a global power in food and nutritional security, driven by innovation and transformative investment.”
Jonathan stressed that Africa has 60% of the unbourned cultivated lands of the world and has a quick growth population, key assets that could feed a global agricultural revolution if they are used effectively.
He emphasized the potential that changes the game of technologies such as precision agriculture, satellite images, drones and AI tools in the remodeling of food systems throughout the continent. However, he warned that technology alone will not be enough without strong policies, infrastructure and collaboration.
“No country, institution or actor can transform African agriculture alone,” he emphasized. “This can only happen if we collaborate through borders and sectors.”
Jonathan urged African governments to comply with and overcome commitments under the statements of Maputo and Malabo, which propose to assign at least 10% of national budgets to agriculture. He asked the private sector, development partners and financial institutions to invest not as charity, but as a strategic imperative.
“For too long, agricultural investment in Africa has been sporadic, in the short term and dependent on donors. This must change,” he said. “We must invest in our farmers, especially women and young people. They are the backbone of our food systems.”
He also requested deeper regional cooperation through platforms such as the African Union and the African Continental Free Trade (AFCFTA) area to improve domestic trade and harmonize agricultural standards.
Rwanda's Prime Minister, Dr. Edouard Nigirente, officially opened the conference on Tuesday, asking for an urgent action and driven by the solution to transform African agriculture through technology and innovation.
Like Jonathan, the prime minister also recognized the intensive impact of climate change in agriculture that underlines the urgency of climbing the intelligent climatic practices that ecosystems restore, improve soil health and safeguard long -term food production.
The four -day event is organized by the Rwanda Government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Resources (MINAGRI), and the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF). More than 900 participants from all over the world attend, including scientists, innovatives, farmers and policy formulators.
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