President Akufo-Addo has cautioned African leaders, particularly, those responsible for agricultural development of their respective countries to note that the continent has no option but to digitize their internal processes including the Agriculture sector.
According to the president, evidence in Ghana, in terms of success in the application of digital technology in new areas, suggests that the digital agenda for Agriculture will succeed.
“Full digitization of Agriculture will present numerous opportunities for the youth along the agriculture value chain. The average African youth is technology-savvy in the use of mobile phones and computers,” the President noted.
The president was Delivering the keynote address at the 2019 Africa Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) on the theme, “Grow Digital, Leveraging Digital Transformation to Drive Sustainable Food Systems”.
“Digitalization is a revolution that is here with us and has surely come to stay. Africa has no excuse but to make the most of it,” President Akufo-Addo noted.
The President charged African Leaders in whatever space they find themselves to make it a point to put digitization at the forefront of their development agenda.
“Our responsibility, whether as leaders of our families, our institutions, our companies, our communities or our countries, is to tap into this resource and the opportunity at our disposal to make this our time for Agricultural transformation across the continent,” the President pointed out.
Wife of the late former UN Secretary-General, Nane Annan, addressing the gathering on behalf of her late husband, who is considered the founder of the AGRF forum said: “Africa’s Agricultural transformation is thriving progress across the continent but much still needs to be done”.
“It is now our task to build on my husband’s vision and legacy. Let us all work together on that journey to attain food security and prosperous Africa,” Madam Mrs Annan said.
What AGRF does
AGRF is the world’s premier forum for African agriculture, pulling together stakeholders in the agricultural landscape to discuss and commit to programmes, investments, and policies to achieve an inclusive and sustainable agricultural transformation across the continent.
The AGRF, together with its many follow-on activities, is designed to energize political will and to keep top-level agenda items including Malabo Declaration Commitments and related indicators from the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), the Sustainable Development Goals, and Africa’s Agenda 2063 high on the list of Heads of State and ministers.
AGRF rallies these leaders and various stakeholders around a common purpose – to unleash the full potential of Africa’s millions of smallholder farmers and agriprenuers who provide about 80% of the food and agricultural products consumed across the continent and generate millions of jobs and inclusive economic growth.
Initially established as an annual “African Green Revolution Conference” by Yara International ASA in Norway in 2006, the conference moved to the African continent in 2010 with the championing of the late Kofi Annan to take an African identity as the African Green Revolution Forum. This ensured the leadership and broader engagement of African stakeholders in the continent’s agricultural transformation agenda.
The Forum now consists of an annual event combined with thematic platforms and many activities throughout the year to ensure continuous progress over time.
It has cultivated an unrivalled power to convene top leaders, implementers, thinkers, and investors in African agriculture across private, public, development and non-profit partners, and academic and research sectors.