Agriculture Summit Africa 2026 has taken its message to the grassroots, engaging more than 300 smallholder farmers in Iseyin, Oyo State, Nigeria, ahead of the main summit in Abuja.

The farmers’ town hall focused on climate-smart agriculture, market readiness, digital farming tools and the practical challenges affecting small-scale producers.

Organised in collaboration with Whole Eats Africa, the engagement was designed to ensure that farmers’ experiences and priorities remain central to wider discussions about Africa’s food systems.

Climate-Smart Agriculture Takes Centre Stage

Farmers and agricultural stakeholders discussed ways to adapt production practices to changing weather conditions while improving productivity and resilience.

Climate-smart agriculture can include improved soil management, water conservation, better seed selection, efficient irrigation, diversified production and the use of weather and market information.

For smallholder farmers, these approaches are increasingly important as unpredictable rainfall, higher input costs and climate-related risks place pressure on farm incomes and food production.

Improving Market Access for Smallholder Farmers

The engagement also examined how farmers can become better connected to markets.

Limited access to reliable buyers, storage, finance, transport and market information continues to affect the profitability of many smallholder farming businesses.

Participants highlighted the importance of strengthening links between farmers, aggregators, processors, distributors, financial institutions and consumers.

Better market readiness can help farmers improve product quality, meet buyer requirements, negotiate more effectively and reduce post-harvest losses.

Digital Tools Create New Opportunities

Digital agriculture was another important part of the discussions.

Mobile platforms and other digital tools can help farmers access weather forecasts, agricultural advice, input suppliers, financial services, market prices and potential buyers.

However, the benefits of digital agriculture depend on affordable connectivity, digital literacy and tools that are designed around the realities of smallholder farmers.

The Iseyin engagement reinforced the need to make technology practical, accessible and relevant to producers operating at different scales.

Farmers Must Be Part of Policy Discussions

Dr. Olushola Obikanye, Group Head of Agriculture Finance and Solid Minerals at Sterling Bank, said beginning the 2026 summit conversation with farmers was deliberate.

He emphasised that Africa’s ambition to become a global food powerhouse must be built around a clear understanding of farmers’ needs, constraints and opportunities.

Kemi Jeje, founder of Whole Eats Africa, similarly stressed that farmers possess valuable knowledge of their land, crops and communities. She called for stronger access to information, markets, technology and partnerships so that producers can play an active role in shaping agricultural policy and investment decisions.

From Food Production to Stronger Value Chains

The wider Agriculture Summit Africa 2026 programme is being held under the theme “Building the Next Superpower: Africa’s Food Power Play.”

The summit will bring together farmers, policymakers, investors, financial institutions, agribusinesses, development organisations and innovators to explore how Africa can strengthen its food systems.

The discussions are expected to go beyond increasing agricultural output. They will also focus on processing, infrastructure, finance, intra-African trade, technology and the development of stronger agricultural value chains.

Why the Engagement Matters

The Iseyin town hall demonstrated the importance of taking agricultural discussions beyond conference venues and directly into farming communities.

For Africa to improve food security and build a competitive agricultural economy, smallholder farmers must have access to the resources and partnerships needed to produce, process and market their goods successfully.

The engagement therefore served as an important starting point for the wider summit, placing farmer experiences at the centre of conversations about climate resilience, market access and Africa’s future food economy.

Image: L-R: Stella Faleyimu, Marketing Associate, Ecotutu; Dr. Olushola Obikanye, Group Head, Agric Finance and Solid Minerals, Sterling Bank; Oluwakemi Jeje, founder, Whole Eats; Dele Faseemo, Group Executive, Corporate and Investment Banking, Sterling Bank; Ruth Ozigbo, Programme Manager, Agriculture Summit Africa (ASA), and Jesse Osiobe, Founder, Farmkart Foods Limited at the flag-off of the ASA 2026 programme in Lagos… recently.