Agriculture Summit Africa returns this September in Abuja with a clear focus on positioning the continent as a major global food player. The ninth edition of the summit runs from September 15 to 16, 2026, under the theme “Building the Next Superpower: Africa’s Food Power Play.”
Sterling Bank’s Group Executive for Corporate and Investment Banking, Dele Faseemo, noted that agriculture sits at the heart of the bank’s growth strategy. In 2025, the bank’s financing across its key sectors grew by 39 percent to N331.7 billion, with agriculture recording one of the strongest increases. He said the bank backs farmers, processors and agribusinesses with real funding, not just words.
Dr. Olushola Obikanye, Group Head of Agric Finance and Solid Minerals at Sterling Bank, stressed that Africa holds about 60 percent of the world’s uncultivated arable land yet spends billions importing food it can produce. He described food as central to jobs, trade, foreign exchange, industrial policy and geopolitical influence.
Christian Mulamula, Principal Country Officer for Nigeria at the International Finance Corporation, said Africa’s agricultural transformation must go beyond higher production. He stressed the need for better access to finance, technology, inputs, infrastructure and markets so that farmers and agribusinesses can thrive.
