By Joyce Gyekye
Across Africa, millions of people continue to face food insecurity as droughts, floods and other climate-related shocks disrupt agricultural production. Experts warn that without greater investment in climate-resilient agriculture, the continent’s effort to achieve food security could become a mirage. Against this background, more than one thousand policymakers, financiers, development partners, and private sector actors will gather in Nairobi, Kenya from June 30 to July 2 for the Financing Agri-Business Systems Sustainably, FINAS 2026 summit.
The gathering comes at a critical moment for the continent. This is because agriculture remains a cornerstone of African economies- contributing up to 20-30% of GDP in many countries and employing over 60% of the workforce- yet the sector faces an annual financing gap exceeding US$100 billion.
At the same time, agriculture continues to receive less than 5% of formal bank lending across most markets. Smallholder farmers, women, youth and agri-SMEs remain the most affected despite producing up to about 80 percent of the food on the continent.
Themed “ Towards Sustainable Financial Architecture for Africa’s Food System”, the summit will focus on unlocking blended finance, scale up climate-smart agriculture funding, and strengthen financial inclusion across the agricultural value chains. Discussions will explore innovative financing models, including digital lending platforms, and insurance-backed credit mechanisms to de-risk agriculture investment.
Among the organisations attending the summit is the Ghana Incentive -Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending, GIRSAL. Its Chief Operating Officer, Samuel Yeboah, on the question of his contribution to the summit, said the Organisation has guaranteed about GHS1.7 billion ($144 million) as loans to entities in the agri-business value chain since its establishment seven years ago. “ We will share our success story and also use that platform to engage other stakeholders in the agricultural financing ecosystem”. He said addressing climate risks in agriculture will require innovative financing solutions and stronger partnerships.
Mr. Yeboah, believes investment in irrigation, climate-resilient crop varieties and agricultural insurance can help farmers withstand the impact of climate change, with agriculture among the highest-hit sectors.
On the question about the benefit of the summit to farmers, the Chief Operating Officer of GIRSAL, noted discussions are also expected to promote the development of agricultural insurance products and generate practical policy decisions aimed at strengthening support for farmers across the continent. “This summit will help shape improved financing and insurance solutions that can make agriculture resilient for farmers”, he said.
Speaking during the launch of FINAS 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya’s Secretary of Administration at the Department of Agriculture, Rashid Khator urged African countries to strengthen financing models that deliver measurable outcomes.
The Project Manager for Sustainable Agricultural Systems and Policy at GIZ, Kenya, Dr. Sophia Baumert, described the summit as a critical platform for fostering collaboration and partnerships to build more reliable and resilient agri-food systems across Africa.
