By Akpan Glory
Abuja, Dec. 19, 2025 – In a bold declaration that underscores the critical role of entrepreneurship in Africa’s future, the non-profit organization African Food Changemakers (AFC) has committed to cultivating a network of one million agrifood entrepreneurs across the continent. The ambitious pledge was made by Dr. Temi Adegoroye, Executive Chair of AFC, at the organization’s 2025 End-of-Year Agri-Food Entrepreneurs Mixer in Abuja.
The event, themed “From Celebration to Strategy: Strengthening Africa’s Agri-Food Future,” served as both a recognition of current achievements and a strategic launchpad for this expansive vision. Dr. Adegoroye positioned the initiative as a direct response to systemic challenges, aiming to empower Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to become engines for food security, climate resilience, and economic growth.
“AFC is a female-founded, pan-African non-profit working at the intersection of entrepreneurship, innovation, and storytelling to strengthen Africa’s food systems,” Adegoroye stated. “Our goal is to build a community of one million agrifood entrepreneurs. We currently have over 8,500 members from 49 African countries, but this is just the foundation.”
Beyond Finance: The Multi-Faceted Support Ecosystem
Adegoroye emphasized that AFC’s approach moves beyond the conventional focus on funding. While access to capital remains a hurdle, the organization identifies knowledge sharing, peer networks, and policy advocacy as equally vital.
“Sometimes what entrepreneurs need is not finance but access to peers in other countries,” he explained. “They need to learn how others navigate similar challenges—be it post-harvest losses, supply chain disruptions, or accessing new markets—and apply those lessons locally. This cross-pollination of ideas is where true innovation and resilience are built.”
AFC’s model is designed to provide this holistic support, offering members access to:
- Networks: Connecting SMEs across borders for collaboration and mentorship.
- Information: Disseminating knowledge on best practices, technology, and market trends.
- Funding Opportunities: Facilitating connections to investors and grant-making bodies.
- Policy Engagement: Amplifying the collective voice of entrepreneurs to shape conducive government policies.
The organization specifically targets smallholder farmers, youth-led agribusinesses, and women in agriculture—groups that are disproportionately affected by systemic barriers yet hold immense potential for transformation.
The Scale of the Challenge and Opportunity
The mixer highlighted the stark realities and immense opportunities within Africa’s agrifood landscape. Dr. Michael Adeoye, Group Head of Finance Facilitation at the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), provided a compelling case study using Nigeria’s data.
“Nigeria has about seven million hectares of arable land, with only 3.7 million hectares currently under cultivation,” Adeoye revealed. This underutilization represents a massive opportunity gap. He called for the establishment of an infrastructure development fund to support land preparation, arguing that “if we open up more land, farmers can operate across different locations, productivity will increase, and insecurity will be reduced.”
This insight underscores why AFC’s entrepreneur-centric model is so crucial. Entrepreneurs operating across the entire value chain—from input supply and production to processing, marketing, and distribution—are the ones who can practically mobilize resources, adopt new technologies, and bring fallow land into productive use.
From Celebration to a Continental Strategy
Dr. Adegoroye stressed that the event was “more than a social gathering,” but a strategic platform to spotlight the people, policies, and enterprises shaping Africa’s future. “There are many SMEs in the agrifood space that require this kind of network. By bringing them together, they can share knowledge, leverage one another’s strengths and turn challenges into opportunities,” he said.
The vision of one million entrepreneurs is not merely a numerical target; it represents a paradigm shift. It envisions a continent where agrifood SMEs are no longer struggling in isolation but are interconnected nodes in a robust, innovative, and resilient food system. Achieving this will require scaling AFC’s proven programs and forging strategic partnerships across the public and private sectors.
As AFC moves from celebration to strategy, its commitment signals a growing recognition that Africa’s food security and economic destiny will be forged by its entrepreneurs. Supporting them with the right tools, community, and voice is not just an NGO project—it is a continental imperative.
Edited by Tosin Kolade
