Kyari Pushes AI, Satellite Technology to Drive Africa’s Agricultural Future

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, has called on African countries to embrace artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, satellite technology, and data science as key drivers of agricultural transformation and food security across the continent.

Kyari made the call while officially declaring open the 9th Africa Agriculture Science Week and the 10th Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) General Assembly in Abuja on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Speaking at the event, the minister said Africa can no longer depend solely on natural resources but must leverage emerging technologies to increase food production, improve climate resilience, and modernise farming systems.

He stressed that science, technology, and innovation should become the foundation of Africa’s agricultural policies if the continent is to achieve sustainable food security and economic prosperity.

“Before countries became prosperous, they first learned how to feed their people, and before they transformed agriculture, they invested in science,” Kyari said.

The minister highlighted the Federal Government’s investments in digital agriculture, mechanisation, irrigation, agricultural finance, and quality farm inputs under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

He said technologies such as AI can help farmers make data-driven decisions, while satellite technology can improve crop monitoring, land mapping, and weather forecasting. He added that biotechnology and data science would also play critical roles in boosting productivity and developing innovative solutions tailored to Africa’s agricultural challenges.