Ayodeji Ake
Nigeria’s leading commodities market player, AFEX, recently hosted the third edition of its Code Cash Crop event in Lagos to support the integration of agriculture, finance, and technology that create sustainable solutions to some of the most pressing food system challenges in Africa.
The theme of the event was, “Disrupting Agriculture Trade Infrastructure,” and it brought together next-generation innovators, business professionals, entrepreneurs, agric specialists, investors, development partners, and policymakers in the three sectors to identify innovative and viable solutions to Africa’s Trade Infrastructure in a series of panel discussions, mentorship sessions, and network meetings.
Commenting on the significance of Code Cash Crop, Chief Technology Officer, AFEX, Yusuf Oguntola, said the company, “believes that it is essential to nurture a culture of collaboration and innovation, especially if we are to effectively tackle some of today’s urgent agriculture challenges. We are happy to see the next generation of innovators from the fields of technology, finance, and agriculture pitch viable solutions for optimizing agriculture trade infrastructure.”
He added that technology will be key in promoting a platform model for agriculture trade that can focus on providing access to logistics, access to advisory services, access to inputs, and access to the market, which are all key to the future of agriculture in Africa.
CEO, Co-founder, Releaf, Ikenna Nzewi, speaking at the panel discussion on the topic, “The Present and Future of Agriculture Commodity Trade in Africa,” stated that ‘it’s important to carry out a comprehensive research for solutions, especially technologies that apply to smallholder farmers which should be tailored to their needs.
The Country Manager, Microsoft (Nigeria & Ghana), Olatomiwa Williams, in her opening remarks said there is a, “need to focus on accelerating growth in the sector. Innovating in areas where agriculture faces challenges will help farmers scale their business, and it’s essential to simplify technology for smallholder farmers.”
