Senior African government technocrats have raised concern that the continent’s agrifood transformation agenda risks stalling unless governments urgently shift from policy discussions to actual delivery.
According to presentations made available to The Nation, the warning came during a high-level meeting in Limuru, Kenya where Permanent Secretaries responsible for agriculture gathered to assess progress and chart a way forward on implementing continental agricultural commitments.
The meeting, convened by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (Agra) in partnership with the Government of Kenya, brought together officials from across Africa, including Malawi.
At the centre of discussions was the implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (Caadp) 2026-2035 framework, a key continental strategy aimed at achieving food security, building resilience and transforming Africa’s food systems.
But delegates said progress has been slowed by a persistent gap between in policy formulation and execution.
Taking her turn, Agra president Alice Ruhweza did not mince words, stating that Africa already has enough policies in place.
“The problem is not policy or strategy. It is implementation,” she said, pointing to weak financing, poor coordination and fragmented institutions as major barriers.
She said Agra, which is marking 20 years of operations, is shifting its focus towards supporting governments to deliver results on the ground, particularly for smallholder farmers.
Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Agriculture, Kipronoh Ronoh, said his country is already taking steps to align its national agricultural strategy with continental priorities.
Across the board, technocrats acknowledged that African economies are losing out due to underinvestment in agriculture, with missed opportunities in job creation, trade and industrial growth.
In her contribution, Chizumba Shepande of Zambia stressed that senior government officials must take responsibility for ensuring policies are translated into action.
Meanwhile, Ousman Mbaye of Senegal called for stronger collaboration across countries, noting that shared platforms can help governments learn from each other and scale up successful models.
