Kigali: The National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) has called for a new financial architecture to accelerate Africa’s food systems transformation and implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). NADF Executive Secretary, Mohammed Ibrahim, made the call at a Policy and State Capability Thematic Plenary at the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) in Kigali, Rwanda.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Ibrahim emphasized the need for a coordinated approach that integrates public, private, and concessional capital, aligns investments with national priorities, and de-risks agricultural projects. He advocated for structured financing systems that could attract more private-sector capital, moving beyond conventional funding methods. Ibrahim highlighted the challenges in Africa’s agricultural financing, focusing on the fragmentation of existing resources and the lack of effective structures to coordinate investments.
NADF is actively working to identify national priorities, develop bankable investment opportunities, and deploy public and concessional resources to attract additional financing. Ibrahim stressed the importance of coordinating financial capital to overcome challenges related to capital availability and fragmentation. Public resources, he argued, should be used to ‘crowd in, not crowd out’ private investment.
A major constraint to mobilizing capital, he noted, was the shortage of commercially viable projects. Stronger data and accountability systems are crucial to improving investment decisions and ensuring financing delivers measurable benefits, particularly for smallholder farmers. Agricultural interventions should be assessed by their impact rather than the amount of money spent, with success measured through improved yields, farmer profitability, participation in value chains, resilience, and livelihoods.
Ibrahim also advocated for independent monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems to identify effective interventions, address gaps, and generate evidence for scaling. The statement quoted Ana Loboguerrero, Director of Adaptive and Equitable Food Systems at the Gates Foundation, who highlighted the role of philanthropic capital in providing patient, higher-risk financing for innovative agricultural solutions. Such financing can generate evidence, strengthen public-sector capacity, and reduce risks, making agricultural investments more appealing to commercial capital.