The Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) has called for increased investment in agricultural research, innovation and strategic partnerships to transform Africa’s food system.
The Executive Secretary of ARCN, Prof. Dabban Adamu, made the call at the opening of the 9th African Agricultural Science Week (AASW) and the 10th General Assembly of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) in Abuja.
Adamu said Africa must leverage science, technology and innovation to address food insecurity, climate change and other challenges limiting agricultural productivity and economic growth.
He stressed that science-driven solutions are critical to tackling food insecurity, climate change, land degradation and other threats to sustainable agricultural development across the continent.
Also speaking, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, urged African countries to move beyond merely adopting agricultural technologies to becoming leaders in developing home-grown innovations.
“Knowledge has become the most valuable agricultural resource of the twenty-first century. Our ability to harness this knowledge through science, technology and innovation will determine whether we achieve the agricultural transformation we all seek. Africa must move beyond technology consumption to technology generation,” he said.
