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The 2nd edition of African Farming’s Agroinvestment Summit took place from 3-4 December 2018 at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation Conference Centre in Abuja, Nigeria.

Endorsed by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural development and the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), the event provided a dynamic setting for discussions and sharing of experiences with the aim of boosting investment opportunities across the agricultural value chain, improving rural development and increasing awareness for improved productivity, food security, food self–sufficiency and local job creation.

The line-up of speakers included Derrick Osafo, head of estate construction and management, ATV FZ Co.; Ayodeji Arikawe, Co-founder and CTO, Thrive Agric; Abdul Fatah Dadiq Murtala, founder and CEO, Brio Green Agro Nigeria; Eric Nyikwagh, country representative, Young Professional for Agricultural Development (YPARD) as well as other agricultural experts, senior decisionmakers and high-level stakeholders.

Day One of the summit began with podium presentation by Byron Isi, Deputy  Director, Department of Strategic Communications, NIPC. His address looked at promoting long-term finance for agriculture in Nigeria from a global perspective, outlining the existing and future opportunities as well as the challenges involved. The first day of the summit also included discussions on coffee farming, a vital component of global trade and a presentation about improving standards in packaging and access to equipment.

The audience received valuable information regarding investment opportunities in the agribusiness and investment sectors of Jigawa by the Deputy Governor of the State, Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia.

Day Two started with a keynote presentation by Dr Muhammad Kagu, Group Head of First Bank of Nigeria on the access to agricultural finance, the constraints in financing agriculture in Nigeria, the investment of the right skill sets and funding mechanisms. A panel discussion was also hosted with a lively discussion on green space development for economic benefits and social impacts providing insights by industry experts and senior executives. The spotlight on rural transformation and sustainable development through longterm, early stage financing was provided by David Adama, Programme Officer, Alliance of a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).

The two-day event facilitated discussions, learning and interactions about emerging trends in agricultural development and food markets and also provided a lot of opportunities for networking.