EZULWINI, Eswatini | African Union leaders, agriculture ministers, government officials, farmers, researchers and private sector representatives are expected to gather in Ezulwini next month for the inaugural Africa Seed Investment Summit, which will focus on strengthening seed systems as part of efforts to improve food security across the continent.
The three day summit will be held from 5 to 7 October 2026 at the Palazzo Convention Centre in Ezulwini, Eswatini, under the theme, “Resilient Seed Systems for a Food Secure Africa.”
The African Union Commission is convening the meeting as a continental platform aimed at connecting political leadership with investment, policy reform, research and technology in the seed sector.
According to the AU, reliable access to high quality and appropriate seed is essential for agricultural productivity and food security. The summit is expected to advance the CAADP Kampala Declaration and Action Plan as well as the Africa Seed and Biotechnology Programme.
The meeting will bring together Heads of State, Ministers responsible for Agriculture, seed sector government officials, farmer organisations, private sector seed industry representatives, agricultural researchers, seed experts and development agencies.
Among the issues expected to come before the summit is the proposed Ezulwini Declaration on Africa’s seed systems, which is intended to provide a framework for strengthening seed systems across the continent.
The summit will also seek to mobilise sustainable public and private investment, create conditions that can attract greater private sector participation and strengthen legal and regulatory frameworks governing the seed industry.
Another major agenda item will be the launch of the Seed Sector Performance Index 2025 Status Report for Africa, which the AU intends to use as a monitoring tool under the CAADP Biennial Review framework.
The AU says the summit is designed to turn political commitments into coordinated action, with expected outcomes including public financing commitments, private sector investment and potential co investment deals linked to country led seed system transformation.
Heads of State are also expected to make commitments on policies and regulatory environments that can support stronger seed sectors in their respective countries.
The working agenda will cover five main areas: implementation of seed policy and regulatory instruments; mobilisation and sustainability of public and private investment; alignment of the Africa Seed and Biotechnology Programme with the Kampala CAADP Declaration; inclusive development of the seed sector; and the use of technology to accelerate agricultural development.
The programme has been structured around three days.
The opening day on 5 October will feature a meeting of senior officials, followed on 6 October by a meeting of Ministers responsible for Agriculture.
The summit will conclude on 7 October with a gathering of African Union Heads of State and Government.
The detailed programme is still being updated, with the AU stating that session details and timings may change as preparations continue.
The gathering is expected to give Eswatini a prominent role in continental discussions on agriculture and food security, while providing an opportunity for African governments and investors to consider practical measures for developing more resilient seed systems.
Among the confirmed speakers listed by the AU are Moses Vilakati, Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Development at the African Union Commission; Eswatini Prime Minister Russell Dlamini; Ghana Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security John Dumelo; and South Sudan Undersecretary for Agriculture and Food Security Dr Michael Roberto Kenyi Leggi.
Other speakers include Zimbabwe Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Dr Anxious Jongwe Masuka; Somalia Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation Zahra Ige; Sierra Leone Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Dr Isata Kamanda; Liberia Minister of Agriculture J Alexander Nuetah; African Union Commission Ambassador Abdellah Bah El Mad of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic; Botswana Minister of Lands and Agriculture Dr Edwin Gorataone Dikoloti; Central African Republic Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Prof Emmanuel Mbetid Bessane; and Seychelles Minister of Fisheries, Agriculture and Blue Economy Wallace Jude Keith Cosgrow.
Leave a comment