African governments must prioritise investment in food systems – Dr Jasaw
Chairman of Parliament’s Food and Agriculture Committee, Dr Godfred Seidu Jasaw, has called on African governments to make deliberate and sustained investments in the continent’s food systems.
Dr Godfred Seidu Jasaw, Chairman of Parliament’s Food and Agriculture Committee, has urged African nations to invest deliberately and consistently in their food systems. Speaking at the 2026 Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) in Kigali, Rwanda, Dr Jasaw stressed the necessity of such investment for achieving meaningful agricultural transformation and food security.
He expressed disappointment that domestic investments in Africa’s food systems are currently minimal. Dr Jasaw encouraged African governments to redesign national investment plans to make them more appealing to financial institutions. He argued that financial institutions focus on the profitability of projects and will only invest if the plans demonstrate clear commercial potential.
Dr Jasaw highlighted that governments should provide essential infrastructure and platforms to enable farmers and young entrepreneurs to create viable business plans for attracting private-sector financing. He pointed out that expecting young people to finance the entire agricultural value chain makes it challenging to present attractive proposals to lenders.
At the forum, stakeholders from across Africa discussed investment opportunities, strategic partnerships, and innovative approaches to strengthen the continent’s food systems. Ghana was represented by the Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, Mr John Dumelo, and young agripreneurs, who participated in discussions on investment and job creation.
AGRA Ghana Country Director, Dr Betty Annan, expressed optimism about the participation of young agripreneurs and their potential to secure investors. Mr Bright Edward Kodzo Demordzi, Coordinator of the Feed Ghana Programme, called for sustained support and coaching to help young people become commercially viable agribusinesses.
He emphasized the importance of monitoring and follow-up to ensure beneficiaries of agricultural support programs scale their businesses and create jobs. Scientists attending the forum expressed optimism about Africa's food future, praising the forum's emphasis on young people as the backbone of the continent.
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