Africa Summit Aims to Turn Food Imports Into Exports

Africa holds more than half of the world's uncultivated farmland, yet the continent spends tens of billions of dollars each year importing food it could grow itself. That paradox is about to face serious pushback.

The Agriculture Summit Africa returns to Abuja, Nigeria on September 15-16, 2026, with one bold mission: transform Africa from a food importer into a global agricultural powerhouse. The ninth edition of the continent's premier farming event is bringing together an unusual coalition of banks, governments, tech companies, and development partners who all see the same massive opportunity.

Sterling Bank, which is convening the summit, put real numbers behind its commitment. In 2025, the bank grew its financing across key sectors by 39 percent to $331.7 billion naira, with agriculture seeing one of the sharpest jumps. "We're speaking as a bank that puts its balance sheet where its convictions are," said Dele Faseemo, the bank's Group Executive for Corporate and Investment Banking.

The challenge is clear. African farmers have the land, labor, and local demand, but often lack the financing, equipment, storage, and market access to turn harvests into reliable income. Too much food spoils before reaching buyers, and too many farmers struggle to compete despite sitting on some of the world's richest soil.

Dr. Olushola Obikanye from Sterling Bank framed the stakes in geopolitical terms. "Food is jobs, trade, foreign exchange, and increasingly, geopolitical power," he said. "The continent that feeds itself and competes globally will hold real strategic weight."

The summit won't just be talk. Backed by partners including the International Finance Corporation, multiple development agencies, insurance companies, and agri-tech providers, the two-day event will feature deal-making rooms where investors can meet actual opportunities, innovation showcases, and cross-border trade discussions designed to move money and ideas into action.

Christian Mulamula from the International Finance Corporation emphasized that success requires building an entire ecosystem. Farmers need more than seeds and land. They need affordable loans, weather insurance, cold storage, reliable transportation, and buyers willing to pay fair prices.

The Ripple Effect

When African agriculture succeeds, the benefits multiply fast. Farmers earn stable incomes instead of watching crops rot. Young people find careers worth staying home for instead of migrating. Countries save foreign currency they currently spend on imports. Food prices stabilize for millions of families. And global food security gets stronger as a resource-rich continent finally taps its potential.

Nigeria's government has already signaled its commitment with a National Agricultural Mechanization Policy and a ten-year food system strategy aligned with continental goals. But speakers at the summit launch stressed that no single government or bank can do this alone. It takes coordinated action across sectors, borders, and balance sheets.

The summit organizers are inviting stakeholders, investors, and agribusiness leaders to register at agricsummit.org and be part of rewriting Africa's food story from dependence to dominance.