Economy
Africa’s Food Market May Worth Over $1tr Yearly by 2030—Report
By Dipo Olowookere
The latest Africa Agriculture Status Report (AASR) has predicted that the rapidly growing food market in Africa may be worth more than $1 trillion each year by 2030.
The report, launched at this year’s African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) in Cote d’Ivoire, revealed that agriculture will be Africa’s quiet revolution, with a focus on SMEs and smallholder farmers creating the high productivity jobs and sustainable economic growth that failed to materialise from mineral deposits and increased urbanisation.
It noted that the power of entrepreneurs and the free market is driving Africa’s economic growth from food production, as business wakes up to opportunities in the sector.
AASR said despite 37 percent of the population now living in urban centres, most jobs have been created in lower paid, less productive services rather than in industry, with this service sector accounting for more than half of the continent’s GDP.
Smart investments in the food system can change this picture dramatically if planned correctly, it submitted.
Commenting on this year’s report findings, President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Dr Agnes Kalibata, noted that, “Africa has the latent natural resources, skills, human and land capacity to tip the balance of payments and move from importer to exporter by eating food made in Africa.
“This report shows us that agriculture involving an inclusive transformation that goes beyond the farm to agri-businesses will be Africa’s surest and fastest path to that new level of prosperity.”
To succeed, Africa’s agricultural revolution needs to be very different to those seen in the rest of world. It requires an inclusive approach that links millions of small farms to agribusinesses, creating extended food supply chains and employment opportunities for millions including those that will transition from farming.
This is in contrast to the model often seen elsewhere in the world of moving to large scale commercial farming and food processing, which employs relatively few people and requires high levels of capital.
The report highlights the opportunity for Africa to feed the continent with food made in Africa that meets the growing demand of affluent, fast growing urban populations on the continent looking for high value processed and pre-cooked foods.
Furthermore, it advocates that this opportunity should be met by many of the continent’s existing smallholder farmers.
Currently part of this growing demand for Africa’s food is met by imports. These amount to $35bn p.a. and are expected to cost $110bn by 2025 unless Africa improves the productivity and global competiveness of its agribusiness and agriculture sectors.
The report acknowledges that the private sector holds the key to the transformation of the food system so far.
“Impressive value addition and employment is being created by SMEs along value chains in the form of increased agricultural trade, farm servicing, agro processing, urban retailing and food services.
“Large agribusinesses like seed companies, agro processors and supermarkets are also playing an increasing role in the food value chain in many regions,” said Peter Hazell (IFPRI), the technical director of the report.
However, the study is clear that left to the private sector alone, growth in the agrifood system will not be as fast as it could, nor will it benefit as many smallholder farmers and SMEs as it could.
Government support is needed to both stimulate and guide the transition. As a high priority, governments need to create an enabling business environment and in particular, meet targets to invest ten percent of GDP in agriculture, agreed at the 2003 African Union (AU) Summit as part of The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).
The report also urges governments to nurture a globally competitive food production sector through measures such as increasing infrastructure investment in secondary cities and towns, improving the reliability of energy and water supplies, building more wholesale market spaces, promoting open regional trade, identifying and investing in first mover crops and introducing stricter standards for food safety and quality.
The authors also call on governments to stimulate new private public partnerships for more innovative financing and insurance provision which can lead to increased resilience for farmers and their households. While globally agricultural insurance is a $2 billion business, Africa accounts for less than two percent of the market.
Other fiscal stimulus measures suggested include improving financial regulations, developing better credit-reporting processes, opening up special economic zones, supporting digital warehouse receipt systems and sharing risk with lenders through credit guarantees and matching funds.
The report points out other new opportunities to target support presented by digital technology such as satellite tracking and big data. These can help locate new high value agri-economic zones and smarter financing and food security polices, especially in the face of climate change.
“Smart support is just as important as scale of support for Africa’s highly diverse group of famers and agribusinesses. To step up their game, businesses needs assistance tailored to distinct groups of viable small farms and agribusinesses at different development stages, rather than blanket support for all,” added AGRA President, Dr Kalibata.
The report’s authors conclude that although progress is being made, Africa needs to pick up the pace if it is to compete globally and turn itself from importer to exporter by feeding its people with food made in Africa.
“Hopefully the prize of a rapidly growing and valuable market for food made in Africa will spark widespread political will and attract the best business talent to build a high value food sector,” said Peter Hazell. “This private public partnership will be essential to provide the trinity of high productivity employment, sustainable economic growth and food made in Africa for Africa and the world.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
To boost food security in Nigeria, Dangote Fertiliser Limited, a subsidiary of the Dangote Industries Limited, has empowered farmers in the country with the basic knowledge and tools needed to have bountiful harvests.
The company made this possible through a comprehensive training programme targeted at more than one million farmers across the country.
This is part of the organisation’s commitment to supporting small businesses, agriculture, and job creation in Nigeria.
“This programme, integral to our agricultural extension services, encompasses spot demonstrations, result demonstrations, field demonstrations, and soil sample collections.
“The training is designed to educate farmers on best practices in fertiliser application, aiming to enhance crop yields and promote sustainable farming techniques.
“By providing hands-on demonstrations and soil analysis, we strive to empower farmers with the knowledge and tools necessary to improve their productivity and livelihoods.
“This programme shows our dedication to fostering agricultural development and economic growth in Nigeria,” Ms Fatima Wali-Abdurrahman, the Senior Adviser to the president of Dangote Group, Mr Aliko Dangote, said at the 2025 Nasarawa Trade Fair Exhibition in Lafia recently.
Ms Wali-Abdurrahman, represented by the company’s National Assembly Liaison Lead, Mr Shuaibu Abdullahi, noted that partnership with the Nasarawa state chapter of the Nigeria Association of Small-Scale Industrialists (NASSI) will help create awareness and scale up small businesses.
“I am pleased to inform you that in alignment with theme of this year’s Trade Fair, the Aliko Dangote Foundation and the Bank of Industry (BoI) had entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and established a N5 billion fund dedicated to supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across Nigeria.
“This initiative aimed to create at least one million direct jobs by providing financial support to entrepreneurs engaged in manufacturing, agro-processing, and the merchandising of goods made wholly in Nigeria,” she disclosed.
According to her, the deal has benefitted cassava processors, aluminium artisans, poultry farmers, calabash carving groups, small traders, cattle rearing groups, vegetable sellers, market women and artisan groups, among others.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Chinese government has announced plans to grant Nigeria and 52 other African nations full duty-free access to its vast consumer market, as part of its policy shift set to reshape Africa-China trade relations.
The new trade initiative, disclosed by President Xi Jinping in a letter to African foreign ministers, will extend zero-tariff treatment to 100 per cent of tariff lines for all African countries maintaining diplomatic ties with the Asian giant.
The move builds on a previous policy that benefited only 33 least-developed African nations and is part of China’s broader strategy to deepen economic cooperation with the continent amid intensifying trade tensions with the United States.
The results are already being felt as Chinese exports to Africa surged 12.4 per cent in the first five months of the year, reaching a record 963 billion Yuan ($134 billion), according to China’s Foreign Ministry.
The implementation of this policy could allow all Nigerian goods, from agricultural produce and manufactured items to solid minerals, enter the Chinese market without the burden of import duties. It could also help drive Nigeria’s exports higher and drive revenue for the country.
The announcement comes at a critical time, as over 30 African countries, including Nigeria, face the risk of being excluded from the United States’ African Growth and Opportunity Act, a preferential trade agreement that once allowed eligible nations to export goods to the US duty-free.
For Nigeria, the proposed duty-free access could significantly boost non-oil exports, especially in sectors like agriculture, textiles, solid minerals, and manufactured goods, areas where the country has long sought to diversify.
China is also trying to boost its partnership with other regions as it faces increased scrutiny and a tariff war with President Donald Trump of the United States, who has alleged unfair trade practices. This led to hikes in tariffs between both countries until they were paused recently to allow for more negotiations.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
An initiative to provide funding support to young Nigerians studying at private universities in Nigeria has been introduced by Sterling Bank.
The financial institution is offering N2 billion under a scheme known as Beyond Education.
Sterling Bank explained that it came up with this programme to build the country’s future leaders by dismantling the barriers that keep millions of Nigerians from accessing quality, future-focused learning.
It reflects the lender’s advocacy for organisations to shift from short-term philanthropy to long-term ecosystem development.
The Sterling Beyond Education programme will fully sponsor 600 students to study high-impact fields such as Technology, Finance, Sales, and Public Health.
It is open to young Nigerians from all 36 states and the FCT, with a merit-based and inclusive admissions process.
Candidates can nominate themselves or be nominated by others, and final selection will be determined through a public voting process open exclusively to Sterling account holders.
The pilot scheme is in partnership with Miva University, founded by renowned tech entrepreneur, Mr Sim Shagaya.
Fully accredited by the National Universities Commission, Miva is redefining higher education in Africa with scalable, affordable, and flexible programs tailored to the demands of the digital economy.
The chief executive of Sterling Bank, Mr Abubakar Suleiman, said, “Progress is not a spectator sport. While others talk about Nigeria’s potential, we are actively investing in it.
“These scholarships are direct investments in the architects of our future. We are funding the education of future leaders who will build the companies, systems, institutions and solutions Nigeria needs to thrive.”
“We’re moving beyond charity. This is about building systems that last and it is much bigger than hundreds of scholarships. It’s about the future those brilliant young minds will build for our country,” he added.
Also commenting, the Growth Executive for Retail and Consumer Banking Directorate at Sterling Bank, Obinna Ukachukwu, said, “This is what inclusive investment looks like.
“This initiative goes beyond access to education, it’s access to a future. Education remains the most valuable asset anyone can have, and we’re proud to stand behind young Nigerians as they claim it.”
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