In this podcast interview, I provide an optimistic take on African governments and their increasing interest to accelerate economic transformation & job creation. I speak to where the challenge of implementation seems to lie & mention some success cases to build on.

The whole ecosystem is built on soil health - it drives productivity, resilience, water systems, and landscapes. Speaking during the policy panel at the 21 CAADP PP, Prof. Tilahun Amede represented AGRA calling for five key actions to restore and sustain soil health across

Great to see NCBA Bank in Kenya adopting value chain financing. Single business financing, detached from looking at & financing the entire value chain, has been a major weakness in the financing space for agric and manufacturing.

Only way out of this is national development strategies. African policymakers should feel empowered to pursue pro-growth national development strategies. Don’t settle for marginal projects, regardless of who’s hawking them.

Israeli settler terrorists attacked yesterday the Palestinian farmers in Turmusaya to prevent their harvest of olive trees , terrorized tgem, burned and destroyed their vehicles and uprooted their trees.

Proud to work with Kaduna Business School and SME Development Agency of Nigeria to strengthen Kaduna’s cadre of business development services professionals who understand both the business of agriculture and the mechanics of finance. https://t.co/v3Su7vtjKJ

More and more African Presidents are prioritising Agri-food transformation. However, they need tools and structures, like such councils in Sierra Leone, to give them the basis to be clear on the goals, priorities, strategy, and be able to follow up, coordinate & problem solve.

Grateful to H.E. President @julius_maadabio for his leadership in driving Sierra Leone’s food system transformation under #feedsalone. Together, we are ensuring that the progress is irreversible — advancing food sovereignty and prosperity for all 🇸🇱

Uganda's Minister of State for Agric speaking about the 5 priority value chains presented at the Africa Food Systems Forum in Dakar in September: beef, dairy, soybean, maize, and coffee. https://t.co/XE4ODq0Zdt

A UAE-backed firm, Aquilastar Corp, is setting up a Sh19 billion EV assembly plant in Naivasha’s Green Energy Park. The factory is set to produce 50,000 units annually, create 13,000 jobs, and run on geothermal power.

Spain’s PM at Columbia University: “Defending your country is one thing. But killing 60,000 civilians, bombing hospitals, and starving children to death is something else entirely.” “We are witnessing one of the darkest tragedies of the 21st century unfold before our eyes.” 🇪🇸

Industrial policy & the role of state intervention: Lesson to Africa - don't listen to the IFIs free market, no state intervention etc...stuff.

https://t.co/2tGKQSi5Ah The Israeli destruction of Gaza

@JonathanSaid1 @ketaparty On agro-industries ➡️ advanced industries. AI-search on just sugar in India & Brazil- identified numerous examples e.g. TRIVENI Engin. of India - sugar processor ➡️ cogeneration ➡️manufacturer/exporter of utility-scale turbines/gearboxes. Add other crops & its transformational!

@JonathanSaid1 @ketaparty As Richard is rightly keen on tech acquisition, please note that foundational tech widely used in agro-industries is also commonly used in other industries ranging from boilers, turbines, motor/conveyor systems, heat exchangers, etc to more advanced tech listed next (1/2)

@JonathanSaid1 🎯 Sector-focus e.g. energy policy 4 agro-industrial zone - anchor customers justify large power generation & transmission investments, lower distribution/electrification cost due to clustered customers with outgrowers served by decentralised renewables ditto mining, tourism etc

@JonathanSaid1 I think key is the aspect of power outages related to firms. For new facilities we end up spending 10-20% additional capex on infrastructure to account for grid quality, and for lower draw operations it ends up being cheaper to be completely off-grid...

This post shows why doing energy policy (like most other economic policies) detached from industry policy (the policy to grow firm capability & inclusive market systems) is problematic. https://t.co/F85VyX6dSl?

“A flagship project under the Government’s 24-Hour Economy agenda is the Volta Economic Corridor, which seeks to transform the Volta River Basin into a dynamic special economic zone, blending agriculture with agro-industrial development.” https://t.co/xsUAt4W6hO

“Why Africa's economic transformation must be built on agriculture and agro-processing” https://t.co/aDmNaPss6t

Tanzania is emerging as a top destination for investment in Africa, and tomorrow's session at the #AFSForum2025 will show you why. The country's peace and political stability, combined with a strategic location and rich natural resources, make it a gateway for growth. This is a