Agriculture

Strengthen Regional Trade To Guarantee Food Production, AGRF Urges Africa

Published

6 years ago

August 31, 2020

President of African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) Agnes Kalibata has revealed that Africa needs to strengthen regional trade to achieve sustainable and resilient food systems.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, she also observed that bolstering regional trade would boost a system that will meet the health, environmental, social, and economic aspirations of people living in rural and urban areas.

Kalibata, also an envoy to the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit, said that it had become imperative for the continent not to relent in its effort to transform food systems for the benefit of everyone.

According to the statement, we need food systems that are equitable, sustainable, resilient, and capable of meeting the global challenges of malnutrition, poverty, and climate change as well as be responsive to emerging and unforeseen challenges such as those posed by the COVID-19 pandemic,’’ she said.

She also announced that the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) programme, funded by the African Development Bank for the purpose of boosting productivity and make Africa self-sufficient in key commodities, would convene a high-level session on “Agricultural Technologies for Feeding the Cities” at the 10th annual summit of AGRF in Kigali.

“The session will hold on September 8 where TAAT is expected to use its values to drive the actions required to overcome the major challenges affecting African agriculture in food production and others development issues.

She noted that the summit with the theme “Feed the Cities, Grow the Continent: Leveraging Urban Food Markets to Achieve Sustainable Food Systems in Africa’’, would be co-hosted by Rwanda and the AGRF partners group.

The statement said further that the session would bring to fore, the strategic linkage between research and delivery as well as TAAT’s success stories in feeding African cities through its wheat revolution, intensification of cassava production and commercialization, and building the capacity of African farmers through technology outreach.

She said that it would address innovative options for accelerating African agricultural transformation in a post-COVID-19 pandemic era through the deployment of proven agricultural technologies and partnerships capable of bringing food security to African cities and rural communities.

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Agriculture

PULA, Leadway Assurance Disburse ₦396 Million to Climate-Affected Farmers, Strengthen Food Security Efforts

Published

3 weeks ago

April 24, 2026

The Gleamer

In a major intervention to shield smallholder farmers from climate shocks, agri-insurtech firm PULA has spearheaded the disbursement of ₦396,697,672 in insurance claims to over 40,000 farmers impacted during the 2025 wet season.

The payout, executed in partnership with Leadway Assurance and supported by the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit (PFSCU), covered farmers across Taraba, Borno, Kaduna, and Plateau States who suffered climate-related losses.

The initiative was made possible in part by Bayer Foundation, whose $450,000 premium subsidy support in 2025 wet season helped lower the cost of insurance for thousands of vulnerable smallholders in 8 states, with 4 states receiving payouts. The Foundation is set to scale up its contribution to match the growing aspirations of state governments.

Speaking at the cheque presentation ceremony in Abuja during the 2025 Wet Season Insurance Claims Payout under the National Agribusiness Planning Mechanism (NAPM), PULA’s Nigeria Country Director, Dr. Michael Enahoro, said the initiative goes beyond compensation, insisting that it’s about securing Nigeria’s food systems.

“Our focus is not just on payouts but on increasing food production. We must continue to support farmers who work tirelessly under harsh conditions to feed the nation,” Dr. Enahoro said. He called for stronger policies that directly impact farmers and reaffirmed PULA’s commitment to expanding agricultural insurance as a tool for resilience.

PULA’s data-driven approach to climate risk was key to identifying affected farmers and triggering payments. The company worked with Leadway Assurance to underwrite the risk, while PFSCU aligned the program with the national food security agenda. State governments also supported grassroots enrollment.

Gboyega Lesi, MD/CEO of Leadway Assurance, described the payout as “a reinforcement of a safety net that protects the hard work of thousands of farmers,” adding that “through climate insurance, we ensure that a bad season does not translate into total loss of livelihood.” He commended PULA’s technology and field structure for making rapid, transparent payouts possible.

Ayoola Fatona, Global Head of Agric Solutions at Leadway Assurance, noted that the 2025 wet season brought significant climate variability and yield fluctuations. “The true value of insurance lies in claims payment, especially in challenging periods. Our data-driven partnership with PULA helped mitigate losses,” he said.

Looking ahead, PULA and Leadway Assurance plan to scale coverage to 73,000 farmers in the 2026 farming season, deepening penetration of climate insurance across Nigeria’s food-producing belts.

Commissioners from the beneficiary states commended PULA and Leadway Assurance for de-risking agriculture, restoring farmers’ confidence, and building a more resilient agricultural sector

State-by-state breakdown of claims facilitated by PULA: