Rwanda’s Prime Minister, Dr. Justin Nsengiyumva, has challenged investors to look beyond agricultural production and put more capital into the infrastructure, services and businesses that make Africa’s food economy work.
Nsengiyumva made the call at the opening of the 20th Africa Food Systems Forum in Kigali, where he argued that Africa will not transform its food systems by financing farmers alone.
“A productive farm cannot thrive without roads, energy, irrigation, storage, finance, logistics, processing and reliable markets,” he said.
The Prime Minister urged governments, businesses, financial institutions, farmers and development partners to build stronger partnerships capable of connecting capital with opportunities throughout food value chains.
He identified areas including irrigation, transport and logistics, energy, mechanisation, digital services, insurance, processing, retail and trade as investment opportunities that can generate jobs and increase the value captured from agricultural production.
His appeal comes amid persistent food and nutrition challenges across the continent. Nsengiyumva cited estimates that about 309 million Africans faced hunger in 2025, while 57 percent experienced moderate or severe food insecurity.
He said addressing those challenges requires investment that strengthens the entire system connecting producers to consumers.
“The task before us is to build reliable partnerships that connect finance with these opportunities and ensure that the resulting benefits reach all levels fairly, particularly smallholder farmers, women and young people,” he said.
Smallholder farmers remain central to Africa’s food production but often struggle to access affordable finance, technology, insurance, equipment and markets. Nsengiyumva said better investment models should help turn them into stronger participants in commercial food value chains.
He also called for greater opportunities for young people and women, not only as beneficiaries of agricultural programmes but as entrepreneurs, investors and innovators.
The Prime Minister said African countries must also make food-system projects more attractive to investors by strengthening institutions, developing realistic financing models and setting measurable targets.
The message reflects the wider focus of the 2026 forum, which is centred on investment and finance, food security and nutrition, climate resilience, youth and digital innovation, and trade, markets and value chains.
Nsengiyumva urged participants to move beyond repeated commitments and pilot projects towards investments that can be scaled and deliver measurable results.
“We have to first shift from knowledge to delivery, and second, shift from pilots to scale … and shift also from commitments to measurable results,” he said.
The call puts the private sector and financial institutions at the heart of Africa’s food-system transformation, with the Prime Minister arguing that the continent’s agricultural potential will only translate into broader prosperity if capital reaches the businesses and infrastructure surrounding the farm.
