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“Africa’s Food Future on the Brink”, Ogheneovo Ugbebor Warns at DIniti8tive-Agropedia Webinar

Declaring the event open, Sharon Ayeni, a member of the Board of Trustees (BOT) of DIniti8tive, who spoke through the Co-Founder and Managing Partner Dr Fidelis Ekom noted said despite the dim hope caused by unannounced floods, overstretched droughts and harvest loss “because the climate has changed faster than our systems have adapted”, that “across the continent, innovators, researchers, policymakers and agripreneurs are building AI tools that predict climate shocks, developing drought-resistant systems, strengthening seed value chains, restoring degraded land and designing market structures that help farmers not just survive but thrive.”

This she said was the reason for the webinar.

Beyond the insightful keynote address by Ogheneovo Ugbebor of Ikore International which Techeconomy has written on the webinar featuring a robust panel session that explored practical, scalable solutions for mitigating climate risks and strengthening food security in Nigeria and across Africa.

The discussants included Munir Ahmed, project coordinator at IITA and the Islamic Development Bank; Nazeer Ahmad, Thematic Coordinator Rural Structure Formation at Extension Africa; Ronke Adeniyi, programme manager at the Environmental and Economic Resource Centre; Chief Bassey Archibong, CEO of Agropedia; Dr. Rufus Idris, country director of AGRA;  and Daniel Udeme-Joseph, the Founder of Farm Monitor Africa who are experts across technology, agronomy, rural development, and market systems, examined how farmers and agribusinesses can adapt to increasingly volatile climate conditions.

Ronke Adeniyi who has worked with farmers in various regions picked out water harvesting, solar irrigation, organic soil amendment, early warning systems and improved seed varieties as scalable methods that work best in helping farmers manage floods, droughts and declining soil health.

She also encouraged that “we should create waterways so that water can always find its level. We can also build water dikes that can be a form of embankment for water, so it does not wash away our farmlands.”

Discussions also centered on climate financing, as Munir Ahmed of the IITA/IsDB informed various farmer groups present such as the Association of Rice Farmers of Nigeria, Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria and Fish Farmers Association of Nigeria of the climate insurance schemes tailored to smallholder farmers.

He emphasized that money must be put in the upstream (production stage) of agriculture and not just in the downstream (processing) sectors of agricultural production, “channel more monies into research and seed development to enhance derisking mechanisms, lower production cost and increase output/harvest.”

Agropedia’s Chief Bassey Archibong shared the unique challenges of women and youth-led agric enterprises and noted that most farmers lack financial buffers to recover from climate shocks, leading to massive income losses, reduced planting seasons, and worsening poverty cycles.

“We work in a number of communities in Adamawa, Gombe and Borno States and what we see is a lot of light harvest. A lot of women lost their crops just because there was a dry spell for more than 3 weeks”, he said.

He said women involvement in the design and management of agric tools and application is germane for effectiveness.

He and others called for innovative insurance solutions, public-private partnerships, and supportive policies that de-risk climate investments.

Mr Nazeer Ahmad of Extension Africa demonstrated how data driven tools and digital platforms enhance small -holder farmers’ resistance to climate shock especially in regions with poor connectivity and no extension.

“Digital extension services provide farmers with accurate, timely and personalized information via mobile application, via IPI calls”.

He however added that connectivity and digital literacy remains very low, limiting the adoption of these digital services, “so there is a need for collaboration between partners. There’s a need for the government to come in and set up internet infrastructure to enable farmers to utilize all those digital services.”

He mentioned Extension Africa’s Precision Development that promotes climate advisory services and the Intelligent Agriculture Systems Tool, the Plantic disease diagnosis application and how they give pre-season and inseason prompts to farmers on  flood, drought, when to apply fertilizer etc. all of which “translate to increase in yield for farmers”.

This is as Dr. Rufus Idris dissected the socio-economic implications of climate risks, noting that unpredictable weather patterns have made traditional knowledge insufficient for modern farming.

Drawing from AGRA’s current intervention in Africa, Idris noted key lessons that stand out in building climate resilience at scale, he emphasized that access to real-time climate information, improved resilience planning, regenerative agriculture and community-level capacity building must take precedence.

Likewise Daniel Udeme-Joseph, CEO of Farm Monitor Africa during his much anticipated experiential sharing spoke on interventions at Farm Monitor such as the Automated Climate-Smart Ai-Powered Crop Calendar, (seed, fertilizer) Input Advisory and Alternative Credit Score, Crop Yield Predictor and Monitoring; “so we essentially act as bank within the bank to reach farmers on the ground, and then with the use of farm monitor, they’re able to get credit to buy inputs, improve seedlings and pay for services like mechanisation.”

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Experts Sound Alarm on Food Security at DIniti8tive–Agropedia Webinar

Reeling out results, Udeme-Joseph declared that Farm Monitor works with 350,000 farmers across four States of Nigeria, as well as in Uganda, and have helped to increase their average yield by 35%, household income by 31%, input cost reduction by 21% and adoption of climate-smart practices

that interventions and funding in agriculture should go beyond the upstream processing sector to the downstream production sector. He called for an organised farmer credit information management system to ensure equitable distribution of loan facilities.

These experts warned that technology must be accompanied by training, infrastructure, and affordability mechanisms to ensure broad adoption.

They stressed that climate-smart agriculture cannot be optional; it is a necessity for long-term food sustainability.

The panel session further underscored the importance of market access and strengthening value chains. Climate risk management, they argued, must include strategies that ensure farmers can profitably sell their produce despite environmental challenges. Interventions such as cold-chain logistics, storage technologies, and stable aggregation systems were recommended.

Qestions were taken from participants who needed support with research, funding and mentorship.

Panelists listed opportunities in severance research institutes, built connections and promised to share data and collaborate in projects and sustainability.

The next steps session was led by  Udeme-Joseph of Farm Monitor while Emeka Nwankwo, the Managing Partner and Co Founder of DIniti8tive expressed the organisation’s readiness to continue in the quest for tech inclusion in agriculture, finance, education, health etc.

Throughout the panel, DIniti8tive’s role in convening multi-sector stakeholders was repeatedly acknowledged as crucial for bridging the knowledge gap and promoting collaborative action. The discussion concluded with a call for sustained engagement and the implementation of insights shared during the webinar.

This was the central message delivered by Ms. Ogheneovo Ugbebor, a market systems development expert, during her keynote address at the DIniti8tive-Agropedia Webinar themed “Climate Risk Management and its Impacts on Food Security: Leveraging Innovation for Resilient Food Systems in Africa.”

Ms. Ugbebor was represented by Nkemjika Onuoha.

Speaking to a diverse audience of policymakers, agritech innovators, development practitioners, and private-sector actors, Ugbebor painted a sobering picture of the climate-induced pressures reshaping Africa’s food supply chain.

She noted that farmers who once relied on stable weather cycles now face unprecedented uncertainty.

“Across our continent today, farmers who once planned their planting cycles with confidence now wait in uncertainty watching the skies for rains that may arrive too late, too early, too lightly, or in destructive torrents,” she said. “Entire communities have seen their livelihoods swept away by floods in a matter of minutes, while families struggle under rising food prices triggered by disruptions that no one can fully predict.”

A Continent in Crisis: The Numbers Tell the Story

Statistics detailed in her address revealed the magnitude of the unfolding crisis:

• Sub-Saharan Africa is warming faster than the global average.
• Climate impacts could reduce crop yields by up to 20% by 2050.
  Nigeria loses $9–10 billion annually to floods, droughts, and extreme weather.

An estimated 26.5 million Nigerians may face acute food insecurity in 2025.

“These are not just statistics,” Ugbebor emphasized. “They represent real people, the smallholder farmers who produce over 70 percent of our food, the women who process and retail it, and the young agripreneurs building solutions amid growing uncertainty.”

She stressed that conversations like the DIniti8tive–Agropedia dialogue are not just timely, they are urgent.

The Triple Threat: Conflict, Climate, and COVID-19

Ugbebor identified what she called the “three Cs”: Conflict, Climate Change, and COVID-19, as intersecting forces expanding Africa’s food vulnerability.

Climate change is pushing communities to clear forests, degrade land, and adopt practices that worsen environmental decline.

Conflicts continue to disrupt farming and displace agricultural workers. Meanwhile, COVID-19’s aftershocks have exposed weak supply chains and highlighted overdependence on fragile systems.

“Without adaptation,” she warned, “Africa risks losing 6 to 30 percent of its GDP by 2050, equivalent to $100–$400 billion.”

Direct Impacts: How Climate Change Is Rewriting Agriculture

Ugbebor listed the immediate consequences of climate instability:

• Frequent crop failures
• Rising pest and disease outbreaks
• Increased resistance to pesticides
• Water scarcity and shrinking farmlands
• Rapid desertification and soil degradation

“These dynamics reveal that Nigeria’s food system is not simply stressed,” she said. “It is being reshaped.”

Innovation: Africa’s Greatest Opportunity for Adaptation

Despite the grim projections, Ugbebor maintained that Africa has enormous potential to withstand climate shocks, if innovation is placed at the heart of adaptation.

She highlighted technologies already changing the agricultural landscape:

• Climate-resilient and adaptive seed varieties
• Improved water-harvesting and irrigation systems
• IoT-enabled farm and environmental monitoring
• AI-powered early warning systems and disease detection
• Advanced breeding techniques for crops and livestock

But she insisted that innovation must be coupled with stronger collaboration and deliberate investment.

“Academia must leave the four walls of the school and offer practical solutions in real-time,” she advised, calling on universities and research institutions to co-create with industry and last-mile farmers.

She further stressed Africa’s opportunities in technology transfer, both intra-African and global, if local needs remain central to design and deployment.

The Missing Link: Storage, Logistics, and Market Systems

While food production remains vital, Ugbebor noted that Africa’s food crisis is equally an infrastructure crisis.

“Some regions suffer overproduction and massive post-harvest losses, while others face chronic underproduction,” she said. “The problem is not always insufficient food, it is inefficient distribution.”

She advocated for:

• Tech-enabled logistics and supply chain systems
• Stronger regional trade
• Modern storage and aggregation facilities
• Robust market linkages that ensure farmers earn sustainable income

These, she said, are the types of innovations that can propel Nigeria toward food sovereignty, not merely food security.

Collaboration: The Cornerstone of Climate Resilience

Ugbebor underscored that no single sector can tackle climate risks alone.

“We need the research expertise of institutions, the digital agility of agritech companies, the market linkages of the private sector, the policy direction of the government, and the trust built by development organisations,” she said.

She also called on donors and financiers to invest beyond pilots and support scalable national and regional solutions.

“Policy must reinforce what works and remove barriers that prevent the adoption of climate-smart practices.”

Ikore’s Commitment and Call to Action

Ugbebor concluded with a firm call for greater investment and cross-sector collaboration, congratulating DIniti8tive and expressing the readiness of her organisation, Ikore, to support future efforts.

“Ikore is firmly committed to advancing this work,” she said. “Our strength lies in testing and validating innovations that drive climate adaptation in real-world conditions. We stand ready to work with partners here today to scale impactful, context-driven innovations across our food systems.”

She urged stakeholders; governments, companies, research bodies, and development actors, to take immediate action.

“If we get climate risk management right, our food systems will not only survive, they will thrive. But if we delay, the costs in human lives, economic loss, and social instability will be immeasurable.”

Ugbebor heaped praises on the organisers DIniti8tive and Agropedia for taking the lead and providing a platform for researchers to access data, for farmers to share their experiences and receive help from innovators; even as institutions shared funding opportunities with about 100 participants at the event.

This was the focus of the inaugural webinar hosted by DIniti8tive in partnership with the Quality Education Development Associates (QEDA), themed “Connectivity and the Cost/Integrity of National Examinations in Nigeria.”

Moderated by Esther Adegunle, associate director for Business and Economic Growth at DAI, the session examined four critical issues: the role of connectivity in exam fairness, the economic and social costs of exam-day glitches, policy and technology innovations, and the launch of DIniti8tive’s policy advocacy platform for education reform.

Delivering the opening remarks, Dr. Dara Akala, international development expert and former executive director of the PIND Foundation, emphasized that while Nigeria has made strides in digitalization, challenges remain in education.

“Connectivity gaps, rising telecom costs, and weak ICT infrastructure risk excluding millions of students, especially in rural and underserved communities. This transition must be fair and inclusive,” he said.

The keynote address was delivered by Chief Osita Chidoka, former minister of Aviation and Chancellor of the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership, who championed Nigeria’s digital readiness.

He cited JAMB’s CBT success as proof that large-scale digital reforms are possible.

“Over the last decade, Nigeria has undergone a silent digital revolution, from banking to voter registration. The key question is: can we deliver fair, accessible, glitch-free digital examinations for every Nigerian child? The answer depends on political will and sustained innovation,” Chidoka asserted.

Chidoka also shared his experience digitizing processes at the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), including accident reporting, e-ticketing, and staff promotion exams, stressing that digital systems thrive when backed by leadership and infrastructure.

Also speaking, Dr. Fidelis Ekom, co-founder and Managing Partner of DIniti8tive, reiterated the group’s commitment to advocacy and collaboration.

“Today we interrogated a subject that touches the core of educational equity in Nigeria, connectivity and the cost and integrity of national examinations. Together, we’ve examined the realities: the infrastructure gaps, the economic and social toll of exam-day glitches, and the risk of leaving millions of children behind as we transition to full CBT systems.

“Nigeria does not need to disrupt existing systems like JAMB and WAEC. We must expand their capacity, reinforce their integrity, and ensure inclusivity. Every child deserves a fair chance to prove their potential, no matter where they live.

“But more importantly, we have spotlighted solutions: Strengthening connectivity and infrastructure to reach underserved communities; leveraging technology and EdTech innovations that are low-cost, inclusive, and scalable; ensuring shared accountability frameworks where exam bodies, parents, students, and schools co-create solutions, and fostering bold partnerships across government, private sector, and civil society that can truly move us from plans to performance,” Ekom said.

Stakeholders, including representatives from WAEC, NANS, NAPTAN, NAPPS, parents, legal experts, and EdTech innovators, contributed to the discussions, underscoring the need for public-private partnerships to strengthen exam systems.

As next steps, DIniti8tive announced plans to produce a post-event policy brief, share digital advocacy tools, and launch pilot projects that improve exam connectivity, fairness, and reliability ahead of the 2026 CBT deadline.