We don’t need borrowed concepts - FARA boss

African Governments must take steps to wean themselves from development concepts other than those specifically designed for the continent, Dr. Yemi Akinbamijo, Executive Director for the Forum for Agriculture Research in Africa (FARA), has said.

“It is clear we cannot rely on borrowed concepts and ideas that are cooked abroad. They have not in most parts served us well in Africa. The time for Africa to rely on its own intellectual strengths -- of which it has plenty -- has come. We need to forge our own models of development in the light of changed and changing global circumstances,” he added.

Dr. Akinbamijo was speaking on the topic “A New Dawn for Agricultural Research Development in Africa” at the closing ceremony of the 6th Africa Agriculture Science Week held in Accra last week.

According to him, “It is time for Africans to take ownership of the intellectual discourse on the continent, away from outside think-tanks, and locate it in the heart of the African continent.”

He said the continent, which is yet to attain self-sufficiency, can still recover by putting in place a better, comprehensive strategy to boost agricultural productivity.

“If the past has failed in meeting the hopes and anticipations of the food-insecure and perpetually vulnerable people-groups of the continent, the future need not repeat the past. There’s a discernible wave of change across the continent. Wisdom demands that we carefully exploit the opportunities converging at present for the benefit of Africa,” Dr. Akinbamijo, FARA’s Executive Director added.

The 6th Africa Agriculture Science Week, organised by FARA, brought together over 1,300 scientific researchers, farmers, policymakers, development partners, civil society and NGO groups from across the world to discuss the theme “Africa Feeding Africa through Agricultural Science and Innovation”.

Through side-events, exhibitions and plenary sessions, the week was used to examine other sub-themes of education and human resource development, use of innovations to improve productivity and resilience, moving from competition to collaboration, and innovative financing and investment in agriculture.

Chairperson of the Forum for Agriculture Research in Africa (FARA) Dr. Tiemoko Yo noted: “To enable a food-secure Africa, it is imperative to increase productivity and intensification through science and innovations.”

Dr. Kanayo F. Nwanze, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), remarked: “To address the world’s challenges, we must continue to push the frontiers of science, knowledge and experimentation while ensuring our natural resources are not depleted.

“But most importantly, we must be looking at new and creative ways to make these technologies and developments affordable and accessible to respond to the reality of the small farmer, fisher and pastoralist, who are feeding more than 2 billion people.”

Prof. Monty Jones, who stepped down as FARA’s Executive Director, stated that “FARA has made significant achievements in a short period of 11 years through the contribution of all staff and stakeholders, and I would encourage everyone to remain dedicated to building a better FARA and a stronger agricultural sector in Africa”.