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 f
The report indicates that 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.
It further notes that he describes such investment as essential to achieving meaningful agricultural transformation and food security.
Speaking at the 2026 Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) in Kigali, Rwanda, Dr Jasaw, who is also chairman of the African Food Systems Parliamentary Network, expressed concern that domestic investment in Africa’s food systems remained far below what was required.
“Investments, particularly domestic investments in the food systems sector, are still nothing to write home about,” he said.
Dr Jasaw challenged African governments to rethink how they design national investment plans to make them attractive to financial institutions.
He argued that financial institutions were primarily driven by the viability and profitability of projects and, therefore, governments must focus on developing investment plans that demonstrate clear commercial potential.
“We shouldn’t sit and lament and say the financial institutions are not giving us credit. In fact, their motive is profit. So, if they see sense in their investment plans, they will go for it,” the Member of Parliament for Wa East said.
Dr Jasaw stated governments had a critical role to play in reducing the burden of infrastructure and investment on farmers and young entrepreneurs.
He stated the state must provide the basic infrastructure and platforms that would enable farmers and young people to develop viable business plans capable of attracting private-sector financing.
He explained that expecting individual young entrepreneurs to finance every component of an agricultural value chain made it difficult for them to present commercially attractive proposals to lenders.
“But if the youth has to put in his plan, providing irrigation facilities, warehouse, corn milling machinery, tractor, land; if he has to put all these in his plan, then he will not be able to provide an attractive plan that will attract investments,” Dr Jasaw said.
The 20th edition of the Africa Food Systems Forum, held from September 1–4, 2026, at the Kigali Convention Centre, brought together stakeholders from across Africa and beyond under the theme: “Investing in Africa’s Agri-Food Systems: Nourishing Nations, Growing Jobs, Building Resilience.”
The forum is regarded as a major platform for African agriculture and food systems stakeholders to exchange ideas, forge partnerships and drive practical action to strengthen the continent’s food systems.
With support from AGRA, Ghana was represented by a delegation that included the Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, Mr John Dumelo, and a group of young agripreneurs.
