The Federal Government has called for sustained investment in agricultural science, research and innovation as the foundation for achieving food security, economic prosperity and climate resilience across Africa.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, made the call while declaring open the 9th Africa Agriculture Science Week (AASW) and the 10th General Assembly of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) in Abuja.

Addressing ministers, scientists, policymakers, development partners, researchers and farmers from across the continent, Kyari said Africa’s transformation would depend not on its abundant natural resources alone but on its ability to generate knowledge, embrace innovation and strengthen partnerships.

He stressed that every successful agricultural revolution in the world was built on deliberate investment in science, strong institutions and visionary leadership, noting that Africa must follow the same path to secure its future.

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

Kyari said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had placed agriculture at the centre of the Renewed Hope Agenda because food security remains inseparable from national security, economic growth and social stability.

According to him, Nigeria is implementing sweeping reforms across the agricultural value chain, including expansion of irrigation and all-season farming, mechanisation, improved access to quality seeds and fertilizers, agricultural financing, digital agriculture and agro-industrial development, while creating a more enabling environment for private sector investment.

He added that the government was equally strengthening National Agricultural Research Institutes, universities and extension systems, insisting that sustainable agricultural transformation must be driven by sound scientific evidence.

The minister identified emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, satellite technology and data science as critical tools capable of revolutionising agriculture by improving decision-making, crop monitoring, climate-smart farming and market access.

He urged African governments to invest more heavily in research institutions, innovation hubs, digital infrastructure and scientific talent to enable the continent become a global leader in agricultural technology rather than merely adopting innovations developed elsewhere.

Kyari also challenged researchers to ensure that scientific discoveries move beyond academic publications to practical solutions that increase productivity, create jobs, restore degraded lands, improve nutrition and strengthen climate resilience.

He described FARA as an indispensable continental institution that continues to unite governments, research organisations, universities, development partners and the private sector in addressing common agricultural challenges.

Earlier, Chairperson of the FARA Board of Directors, Ms Bongiwe Njobe, warned that escalating climate change had become a structural threat to Africa’s food systems, with rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, floods, droughts and land degradation undermining decades of development gains.

She said the continent’s research and innovation agenda must become more responsive and impactful to tackle worsening food insecurity and vulnerability, particularly among women, youths and marginalised communities.

Njobe noted that the conference coincides with the first anniversary of the CAADP Kampala Declaration, which seeks to shift Africa’s agricultural development from a narrow commodity focus to a broader agrifood systems approach centred on agro-industrialisation, nutrition, resilience and inclusion.

According to her, science, technology and innovation remain the engines for translating political commitments into measurable improvements in farmers’ livelihoods and household food security.

In his welcome address, Executive Secretary of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), Dr Abubakar Adamu Dabban, described the conference as a significant platform for advancing research, innovation and strategic partnerships across the continent.

Dabban said the gathering aligns with Nigeria’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises agriculture, food security and economic development through sustained investment in research and technology.

Speaking on the conference theme, “Innovations and Partnerships for Resilient and Sustainable Agrifood Systems in Africa”, he said Africa could only overcome climate change, food insecurity and low agricultural productivity through stronger collaboration and science-driven solutions.

The four-day conference, which runs from July 27 to 30 in Abuja, has attracted agricultural experts, policymakers, universities, development partners, private sector leaders, farmers and innovators from across Africa to deliberate on strategies for building resilient and sustainable agrifood systems capable of feeding the continent while driving inclusive economic growth.