Food Security: Alternative Bank Unveils Plan to Boost Financing to Farmers 

James Emejo in Abuja 

Non-interest financial institution, the Alternative Bank has set a new benchmark for purpose-driven finance with its ethical financing framework designed to transform Africa’s agricultural landscape.

The framework seeks to place farmers, rather than financiers at the heart of the continent’s food future.

The non-interest bank’s Executive Director, North, Garba Mohammed, disclosed this at the Agriculture Summit Africa 2025, with the theme, “Survival of the Greenest: Reclaiming Africa’s Food Destiny”, over the weekend in Abuja.

He said that Africa’s prosperity depended not only on how food is cultivated and processed, but on how it is financed. 

Represented by his Chief of Staff, Azeez Badru, Mohammed said, “This theme signals a continental awakening. Africa’s food destiny will not be reclaimed by technology alone, but by the courage to finance differently, to make money serve humanity rather than the other way around.”

Amid Nigeria’s escalating food security crisis, the bank is leading a movement toward ethical, transparent, and equitable financing. 

Mohammed described agriculture as “a sacred trust” and reaffirmed that the bank’s mission is to fund productivity, not speculation.

He said, “We are financing purposes, not just profit. Agriculture is a national responsibility. Every loan, every partnership must feed families, preserve the land, and build resilience. That is the essence of ethical finance.”

Drawing on time-tested non-interest financing models such as Mudarabah (profit-and-loss bearing), Musharakah (equity partnership), Ijara (lease-to-own financing), and Murabaha (cost-plus trade finance), the bank’s strategy redistributes risk and reward across the agricultural value chain. 

These tools empower producers, processors, and distributors while keeping financing grounded in fairness and sustainability.

Mohammed noted that for too long, those who feed Africa have carried the heaviest burden while financiers reap the greatest returns. 

The imbalance, he said, must end, adding that the “Alternative Bank intends to lead the way”.

He also emphasised that the bank’s support extends beyond capital. Its financing encompasses renewable energy systems for irrigation, solar-powered cold storage, and waste-to-value innovations, solutions that reduce environmental impact while improving yield and income.

According to him, “The survival of the greenest challenges us to build systems that reward stewardship over speculation, and to finance not just growth, but good.”

While commending the organisers of the summit, the bank reaffirmed its commitment to reshaping Africa’s food systems through finance that empowers rather than exploits. 

It called on institutions, investors, and innovators to join in placing farmers at the center of transformation, where dignity, equity, and sustainability drive every transaction. 

Mohammed said, “We’re leading this charge and welcome farmers, off-takers, partners, and all who believe finance should build fair, resilient food systems.”