AfDB Strengthens Africa’s Food Security with €5 Million Agricultural Investment

The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) have signed a €5 million grant agreement to advance agricultural transformation across Africa.

The funding, provided through the Transition Support Facility (TSF) Donor Contributions Window, will support Phase II of the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) initiative, aimed at boosting food security and enhancing smallholder productivity.

The agreement, signed in Abuja on Wednesday, builds on the success of TAAT Phase I, which received $40 million in funding, and an initial Phase II investment of $27 million.

The TAAT program, a flagship initiative under the AfDB’s Feed Africa Strategy, is designed to double agricultural productivity by providing climate-smart technologies to over 40 million smallholder farmers.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Abdul Kamara, AfDB’s Director General for Nigeria, reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to fostering agricultural growth through strategic partnerships.

“This historic signing underscores our determination to scale up proven agricultural innovations that enhance productivity, strengthen food systems, and improve livelihoods across the continent,” Kamara stated.

Expanding Access to Agricultural Innovations

The TAAT Phase II initiative prioritizes climate-resilient agricultural solutions, addressing pest control, disease management, and supply chain inefficiencies while tackling regulatory hurdles in seed and fertilizer policies. The program also seeks to enhance extension services, ensuring that farmers have access to locally adapted inputs and expanded market opportunities.

Simeon Ehui, IITA’s Director General, described the grant as a significant milestone in Africa’s agricultural transformation, emphasizing that previous TAAT interventions had already demonstrated measurable success.

“Through TAAT, we have seen that when farmers gain access to the right technologies, they achieve remarkable progress. This next phase will expand those successes to reach even more smallholder farmers, agripreneurs, and food system actors,” he noted.

Ehui outlined key areas of focus for TAAT Phase II, including:

• Accelerating technology deployment to ensure that climate-smart innovations reach farmers where they are most needed.
• Strengthening partnerships among research institutions, governments, private sector players, and development organizations to create sustainable agricultural value chains.
• Enhancing youth and women’s participation by improving access to agricultural technologies that boost productivity and income generation.
• Improving food and nutrition security by equipping African farmers with resilient farming solutions that mitigate the impact of climate change.

Transforming Africa’s Agricultural Landscape

The additional funding reaffirms AfDB’s and IITA’s shared vision of an Africa that is self-sufficient in food production, where smallholder farmers have access to cutting-edge agricultural solutions that drive resilience and economic growth.

“With continued investment, policy support, and collaboration, we can transform African agriculture, reduce food imports, and unlock the continent’s full agricultural potential,” Ehui affirmed.

As TAAT Phase II rolls out, stakeholders remain optimistic that Africa’s agricultural sector will witness sustained productivity growth, paving the way for a more resilient and self-sufficient food system that secures the continent’s future.