ASA 2026 Brings Global Coalition Together to Accelerate Africa’s Food Power Play

Africa’s agricultural potential remains locked in a stubborn contradiction: the continent has abundant arable land, labor and demand, yet still relies on imported food. Agriculture Summit Africa 2026 will put that gap at the center of its ninth edition in Abuja on Sept. 15 and 16.

The summit, convened by Sterling Bank, was unveiled at a press conference in Lagos attended by public-sector representatives, development partners and agribusiness leaders. Its theme, “Building the Next Superpower: Africa’s Food Power Play,” presents food production as more than a farming issue. It frames agriculture as a route to jobs, trade, foreign exchange, industrial development, climate resilience and geopolitical influence.

Sterling Bank executive Dele Faseemo said agriculture sits within the bank’s HEART strategy, which covers health, education, agriculture, renewable energy and transportation. He said financing across those sectors rose by 39 percent in 2025 to ₦331.7 billion, with agriculture among the areas recording the sharpest growth. “When Sterling talks about agriculture, we are speaking as a bank that puts its balance sheet where its convictions are; behind the farmers, processors, off-takers and agribusinesses doing the hard, unglamorous work of turning Nigeria’s land into livelihoods,” Faseemo said.

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When Sterling talks about agriculture, we are speaking as a bank that puts its balance sheet where its convictions are; behind the farmers, processors, off-takers and agribusinesses doing the hard, unglamorous work of turning Nigeria’s land into livelihoods.

Dr. Olushola Obikanye, Sterling’s group head for agric finance and solid minerals, said Africa holds about 60 percent of the world’s uncultivated arable land while spending tens of billions of dollars each year on food imports. “Food is jobs. Food is trade. Food is foreign exchange, industrial policy, climate resilience, and increasingly, geopolitical power,” he said. “Hence, the continent that feeds itself and competes globally will hold real strategic weight. That is Africa’s food power play.”

For Nigeria, the summit will focus on the practical barriers that prevent agricultural potential from becoming reliable income and market value. Speakers cited limited finance, poor access to quality inputs, weak mechanization, storage and logistics gaps, restricted market access and high post-harvest losses. They also welcomed the federal government’s decision to place food security at the center of its agenda.

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Food is jobs. Food is trade. Food is foreign exchange, industrial policy, climate resilience, and increasingly, geopolitical power. Hence, the continent that feeds itself and competes globally will hold real strategic weight. That is Africa’s food power play.