Nsengiyumva made the call on Wednesday, September 2, while opening the 2026 Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) in Kigali, where more than 5,000 stakeholders from over 50 countries are discussing investment in Africa’s food systems.
“Our youth should start seeing agriculture not as a sector of last resort, but as a modern and dynamic sector full of opportunities,” Nsengiyumva said.
He highlighted that opportunities extend beyond farming to areas such as irrigation, energy, mechanisation, digital services, insurance, processing and retail, urging the private sector to invest across the food value chain.
“The task before us is to build credible partnerships that connect capital to these opportunities,” he remarked.
Nsengiyumva also called for investments that ensure smallholder farmers, women and young people benefit from the growth of Africa’s food economy.
Africa has abundant land and water resources, sunshine and a young population, but continues to face food insecurity. Nsengiyumva said about 309 million Africans were affected by hunger in 2025, while about 57 percent experienced moderate or severe food insecurity.
“This contrast defines our task. We need to turn potential into productivity and we need to turn productivity into prosperity for all Africans,” he said.
The call for greater investment was reinforced by new financing initiatives announced at the forum.
Dr. Gérardine Mukeshimana, Vice-President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), said IFAD and partners are launching a $200 million blended finance facility to expand climate adaptation financing for farmers in Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
IFAD is also launching a $10 million facility to support the growth of small agribusinesses, while it will partner with Bank of Kigali on a $21 million blended finance facility for farmers’ organisations later this week.
Mukeshimana said public financing alone cannot deliver the transformation Africa needs and should instead be used to reduce risks and unlock private capital.
She cited IFAD evidence showing that projects involving private-sector participation generate income gains of more than 64 percent, compared with projects without private-sector participation.
From commitments to action
Nsengiyumva said Africa must also improve the way agricultural investments are planned and executed, calling for credible, investable projects backed by clear priorities, realistic financing, strong institutions and measurable targets.
He noted that investments should strengthen entire food systems rather than isolated parts.
“A productive farm cannot thrive without roads, energy, irrigation, storage, finance, logistics, processing and reliable markets,” he said.
The Prime Minister also urged African countries to scale successful agricultural innovations instead of leaving them as small pilot projects.
The call was echoed by African Union Commissioner for Agriculture Moses Vilakati, who said Africa’s challenge is no longer knowing what needs to be done, but having the political will, investment, partnerships and accountability to implement existing commitments.
Vilakati urged Africa to reduce its dependence on food imports and use local production to create jobs and business opportunities for young people.
He said the continent needs “a decade of implementation,” arguing that the success of the Africa Food Systems Forum should ultimately be measured by investments mobilised, jobs created and improvements in the lives of farmers and other food-system actors.
The 2026 AFS Forum marks 20 years of the platform and is being held under the theme “Investing in Africa’s Agri-Food Systems: Nourishing Nations, Growing Jobs, Building Resilience.”
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