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AfDB boss,Adesina reveals how to make agriculture work for Africa and the world
I would like to thank you Louise for your very kind invitation and your gracious comments. I would also like to congratulate Wageningen University & Research on its 100th anniversary. Wageningen is one of the best universities in agriculture in the world. As Professor Louise Fresco will tell you, “it is the best.” Oh well, I am not going to disagree with my big sister. Hearty congratulations!
Louise you have called us into a discussion to talk about what is extremely critical to our world. Let us just all be clear that there are certain things we should never get used to. The abnormal should never become normal. Not having food is abnormal.
https://iso.keq.mybluehost.me/nigeria-zero-hunger-forum-proffer-steps-to-end-hunger/
In the world today, the number of hungry people has increased from 777 million in 2015 to 815 million people in 2016. In the case of Africa, climate change will add an additional 38 million people that are hungry by 2050, according to the International Food Policy Research Institute. Let’s also be clear, we are not yet winning the war against global hunger and malnutrition.
We have a moral responsibility to tackle this problem. It’s one that we can collectively address. In the case of Africa, there is absolutely no reason for food insecurity on the continent.
Africa has 65 percent of all uncultivated arable land in the world to feed 9 billion people by 2050.
Therefore, what Africa does with agriculture will determine the future of food in the world. The greatest agenda we have is how to unlock Africa’s agricultural potential. As my late mentor, Dr. Norman Borlaug used to say, “you cannot eat potential.’
Let’s talk about the opportunities in agriculture.
First and foremost is the size of food and agribusiness in Africa, which will be a one trillion-dollar industry by 2030. Quite naturally, this is a money-making sector to help not only to feed Africa, but also to create an enormous amount of wealth for Africa. The irony is that Africa is spending US$35 billion on food imports each year, which if nothing is done will rise to 110 billion dollars by 2020.
Just think of the Savannas of Africa. There are 400 million hectares of Savannah, of which only 10% is cultivated. That is, a mere 40 million hectares.
https://iso.keq.mybluehost.me/unleashing-the-great-potential-of-africas-youth-to-achieve-sustainable-development/
If Africa can get the right tech to raise productivity, transform its savannahs, turn agriculture into a business and address the issue of nutrition – Africa can feed itself in 10 years and contribute to feeding the world in the years to come.
What is the African Development Bank doing to unlock that potential?
- The Bank has launched the Feed Africa strategy, investing US$24 billion in agriculture over the next 10 years. Our focus is scaling up technology to reach millions of farmers.
- As part of this plan, the Bank is building and developing agricultural value chains that will allow Africa to process and add value to everything it produces.
- Third, we support the production, distribution and availability of nutritious food to address malnutrition and stunting and finally,
- Turn agriculture into a wealth creating sector and not one for managing poverty.
Key programs we have rolled out.
- Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT). This is a billion-dollar initiative the Bank is working on with several partners, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIR), the private sector, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). TAAT is focused on making sure that existing technologies that can transform agriculture are taken off the shelves; We seek to impact 40 million farmers with different commodities. TAAT is about technology without borders, and we have rolled out the program in 15 countries.
- The second key program is Enable Youth. This is an innovative strategy for getting younger people interested in agriculture. Better still, investing in a new generation of young commercial farmers, agribusiness entrepreneurs to make agriculture cool and attractive and we are investing a US300 million in 5 countries.
- The third area of our investment is the African Leaders for Nutrition program, which is endorsed by African Union with a goal of developing an African nutrition index to rate and rank countries in terms of their progress on nutrition. The point here is to have political accountability on nutrition, because we know the solution to it and we want it to be scaled up. And to eliminate the scourge that has afflicted 54 million children today.
- I would like to say something about the savannahs. We have launched an initiative to transform Africa’s savannahs using the best technology available and we have started in five countries already including 10,000 ha in northern Ghana.
- And finally, we are investing in the idea of Staple Crop Processing Zones that will impact rural economies, enabling investments in infrastructure like power, water, and roads that will support private agribusiness and agro allied industries to be located in and around the rural areas. This will add value to agricultural products and turn rural economies from zones of economic misery to zones of economic posterity via agricultural industrialization.
- In conclusion, I believe these initiatives will help us significantly raise agricultural productivity and change the perspective on agriculture. They will get young people into agriculture, help to focus on the cultivation of nutritious foods and structurally transform agriculture into a dominant sector for food and nutrition security. The productive base of African economies will also be diversified even as they become competitive in the global markets through value addition to everything that they produce.
- At the end of the day, it is all about having partners on board, and involving stakeholders in the private sector, the CGIR, national governments, civil society, universities and research institutions, financial institutions, multilateral and bilateral donors.
I just want to say that what the Bank does is in alignment with the development policy of the Netherlands. I am delighted to be here in the Netherlands with a great partner in agriculture.
We will build a bigger alliance to ensure zero hunger in Africa.
The lawmaker representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Engr. Aderemi Oseni, has mourned the death of a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State and former member of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Akeem Abimbola Oladipupo, popularly known as Able, describing his demise as a painful loss to the progressive family.
Oladipupo, who represented Ibadan North-West Constituency in the Oyo State House of Assembly, was widely regarded as a grassroots politician and committed party loyalist until his passing.
Oseni, who is also the Chairman, House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency and the APC candidate for Oyo South Senatorial District, said the late politician’s death had created a vacuum within the party and among those who benefitted from his unwavering commitment to public service.
In a condolence statement issued on Monday by his Media Aide, Idowu Ayodele, and made available to journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, the federal lawmaker described the late Oladipupo as a dependable progressive, humble political actor and loyal party stalwart whose impact would remain indelible.
He said the deceased dedicated his life to serving humanity, strengthening the progressive movement and supporting the aspirations of many at the grassroots.
Oseni said, “The death of Hon. Akeem Abimbola Oladipupo (Able) came to me as a rude shock. Oyo State and the progressive family have indeed lost a committed, loyal and selfless leader whose passion for service, humility and dedication to the people stood him out.
“He was not just a politician but a bridge-builder, a dependable ally and a grassroots mobiliser who believed strongly in the ideals of our great party. His contributions to the growth of the APC in Oyo State and his service to humanity will remain unforgettable.”
The APC senatorial candidate noted that the late former lawmaker remained steadfast in promoting peace, unity and political development, adding that his simplicity and accessibility endeared him to many across political divides.
According to Oseni, the late politician’s legacy of service and sacrifice would continue to inspire younger politicians and party faithful.
He, however, urged members of the APC, associates and family members of the deceased to take solace in the remarkable life he lived and the positive impact he made during his lifetime.
Oseni also prayed for the repose of the deceased’s soul and for God to grant his family the fortitude to bear the painful loss.
State governors have proposed a new national minimum wage of N100,000 for Nigerian workers as part of efforts to cushion them from the biting effects of inflation and the rising cost of living.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, who is also the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), disclosed the proposal on Saturday in a post by the state government’s official Facebook page. He said the move aims to improve workers’ welfare while ensuring that government finances remain sustainable.
“State governments recognise the urgent need to improve workers’ welfare in response to the current economic realities facing Nigerians,” AbdulRazaq said.
“We are actively engaging with the Federal Government and organised labour to arrive at a wage structure that is fair to workers and sustainable for government finances.”
The NGF chairman explained that ongoing discussions are focused on balancing the need to boost workers’ purchasing power with the capacity of governments to deliver essential public services and development projects.
“The goal is to improve the living conditions of workers while ensuring that states can continue to meet their obligations and sustain projects that directly impact citizens,” he added.
The proposed N100,000 minimum wage is expected to intensify national debates on salaries, inflation, and broader economic reforms as Nigerians continue to contend with rising food prices, transportation costs, and other living expenses.
Currently, Nigeria’s statutory minimum wage stands at N70,000 per month. Some states, including Lagos, Rivers, and Imo, are already paying above the national benchmark to support workers amid the country’s economic challenges.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has continued to call for a comprehensive review of salaries, insisting that workers deserve a living wage that reflects present-day economic realities rather than merely guaranteeing survival.
The average retail price paid by consumers for Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol, rose to N1,532.93 per litre in April 2026, representing a 23.69 per cent increase compared to the N1,239.33 recorded in the corresponding period of 2025, findings by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) have shown.
The sharp rise in petrol prices came amid mounting inflationary pressure and worsening living costs, with Nigerians grappling with soaring transportation and food expenses that have continued to shrink household purchasing power.
The NBS disclosed this in its Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol) Price Watch for April 2026, released on Friday.
The report further showed that on a month-on-month basis, petrol prices rose by 18.97 per cent from N1,288.54 recorded in March 2026, underscoring persistent volatility in the downstream petroleum market.
A breakdown of prices across states revealed that Yobe recorded the highest average retail price for petrol at N1,599.05 per litre during the review period.
Edo and Bauchi followed closely with average prices of N1,595.74 and N1,589.07, respectively.
However, Niger residents paid the least for petrol at an average of N1,403.89 per litre, while Sokoto and Katsina recorded N1,404.16 and N1,406.28 respectively.
At the zonal level, the South-South recorded the highest average retail price at N1,566.76 per litre, while the North-West posted the lowest at N1,508.81.
The latest petrol price increase comes as millions of Nigerians continue to battle the ripple effects of rising inflation, with higher energy costs worsening transportation fares and the prices of essential commodities.
Similarly, the NBS said the average retail price for refilling a 5kg cylinder of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, also known as cooking gas, rose by 13.73 per cent month-on-month to N8,706.93 in April 2026 from N7,655.73 recorded in March.
On a year-on-year basis, the price increased by 10.42 per cent from N7,885.60 recorded in April 2025.
Lagos recorded the highest average price for refilling a 5kg cylinder at N9,745.10, followed by Nasarawa at N9,451.70 and Bayelsa at N9,422.74.
In contrast, Anambra recorded the lowest average price at N7,204.76, while Ondo and Ogun followed with N7,239.49 and N7,825.75, respectively.
At the regional level, the North-West recorded the highest average retail price for refilling a 5kg cylinder at N9,025.07, followed by the North-East at N8,847.16, while the South-East posted the lowest average price at N8,224.37.
Also, the average retail price for refilling a 12.5kg cylinder of cooking gas increased by 13.89 per cent month-on-month to N22,382.20 in April 2026 from N19,652.83 in March.
Compared to April 2025, the price rose by 10.43 per cent from N20,268.06.
According to the NBS LPG Price Watch for April, Katsina recorded the highest average retail price for refilling a 12.5kg cylinder at N25,596.71, followed by Kogi at N24,558.25 and Gombe at N24,438.97.
Ogun recorded the lowest average price at N19,564.36, while Bauchi and Anambra followed at N20,178.87 and N20,511.90 respectively.
The North-West recorded the highest zonal average retail price for refilling a 12.5kg cylinder at N23,276.95, followed by the North-Central at N22,865.29, while the South-East posted the lowest average at N21,060.92.
The latest figures signal growing pressure on household energy costs, raising concerns over the implications for inflation and the cost of living in the coming months.
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