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AATF to host 5-day conference to address food security in Africa
In line with the prevailing food insecurity in Africa, the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) is hosting a five-day conference to address challenges facing the continent’s agricultural sector.
Dubbed; “The African Conference on Agricultural Technologies (ACAT)”, the event which is the maiden edition, is set to bring together key stakeholders in the agricultural sector to foster discussions on the future of agricultural innovation and food security in Africa.
The groundbreaking event is scheduled to take place from October 30 to November 3 in Nairobi, Kenya on the theme “Agricultural resilience through innovation”.
The event will be held every two years with a highlight on the centrality of Science, Technology, and Innovation in fostering agricultural transformation in Africa.
The event, which is being supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID, and the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture & Livestock Development among others is expected to bring together researchers, scientists, farmers and investors.
The Principal Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Mr Philip Harsama expressed excitement about the conference, noting that the conference had come at an opportune time when the continent was struggling to feed its people with climate change posing many challenges to the agricultural sector.
Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, former President of Nigeria and AATF Ambassador for Agriculture Technology in Africa, expressed support for the conference, noting that agriculture plays a pivotal role in Africa’s economic agenda, contributing significantly to employment, food security, and economic growth.
“ACAT will provide an opportunity for stakeholders to “walk the talk” and move beyond discussions about new technologies to embracing and adopting them,” the former President stated.
The AATF Executive Director, Dr. Canisius Kanangire, noted that ACAT will highlight the centrality of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) in fostering agricultural transformation, especially in addressing key challenges facing African farmers.
“Often the role of STI in agriculture and especially innovative technologies has not been emphasized. ACAT is the opportunity to fully showcase and celebrate STI’s contribution towards enhancing food security and livelihoods to encourage dialogue and innovation,” Dr Kanangire said.
He added that ACAT will intensify efforts to forge partnerships with like-minded organisations working in the agriculture technology sector and provide opportunities for stakeholders to share information on new and emerging agricultural technologies.
“AATF has been at the forefront of facilitating access, development and commercialization of agricultural technologies and this conference will help to put a spotlight on the numerous game-changing innovations that have been developed and highlight opportunities to address the multiple stressors facing the sector due to population growth, climate change and other factors,” he pointed out.
Dr. Kanangire further stated that ACAT will provide a unique platform to discuss barriers to technology transfer and propose strategies for transforming existing technologies into Next Generation technologies capable of enhancing productivity and effectively addressing the challenges faced by African farmers.
AATF has dedicated itself to promoting innovative agricultural technology transfers that address farmer productivity constraints, working with partners across the continent to access 24 innovative and cutting-edge agricultural technologies worth over US$650 million spread across 24 countries and reaching 4.8 million smallholder farmers with new interventions during the last five years.
BY BENEDICTA GYIMAAH FOLLEY
The Dzidula Pink Foundation, a new organisation dedicated to cancer awareness, early detection, and patient support, has been officially launched in Accra, with a passionate call for national commitment to fighting the disease. The launch event, held last week Friday, carried the theme: “Beyond the diagnosis: A future of restoration, care and courage.”
Speaking at the event, Madam Abena Brigidi, founder and CEO of Nimed Capital Limited, emphasised that cancer remains one of the most devastating health challenges facing families across the country. “Cancer does not discriminate—it affects mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons. It drains families emotionally and financially, and behind every statistic is a human story and a future suddenly thrown into uncertainty,” she said.
Sharing her personal encounters with cancer, having lost both her husband and father to the disease, Madam Brigidi highlighted the emotional, financial, and physical scars left behind. “I stand here not just as a speaker, but as a witness to what cancer can take away,” she stated. “I have watched loved ones fight bravely, and I have felt the deep pain that loss leaves behind.”
She stressed that awareness and early detection are critical to reducing deaths, noting that many Ghanaians still lack access to proper screening, reliable information, and adequate treatment. She appealed to healthcare professionals, corporate institutions, policymakers, the media, and the general public to join hands in the fight. “Early detection saves lives. Your support today can lead to someone’s healing tomorrow,” she said.
Madam Brigidi further called for collective responsibility to sustain the foundation’s mission. “To our medical professionals, we need your expertise. To corporate partners, your resources. To the media, your voice. To policymakers, your support. And to the public, your compassion,” she urged. She also insisted that breast cancer awareness should not be limited to annual campaigns, saying, “Breast cancer awareness must not be seasonal.”
Mrs Diana Fafa Gozo, founder of the Dzidula Pink Foundation, shared her own cancer journey, describing the shock of diagnosis, the fear that followed, and the difficult path through treatment. Her experience transformed her pain into purpose and inspired her to create a foundation to ensure no cancer patient walks alone.
Mrs Gozo explained that many patients struggle not only with treatment costs but also with emotional resilience. She outlined the foundation’s initiatives, which include awareness and early detection campaigns, patient support funds, community outreach, and survival support circles. “This foundation is my offering of gratitude, courage, and compassion and a reminder that no one should walk the cancer journey alone,” she concluded.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) says it will deploy teams of Public Health Officers, members of its Sanitation Taskforce, and labourers, including sweepers and janitors, across all sub-metros to support the third National Sanitation Day exercise.
It explained that these teams will be equipped with waste collection trucks, tippers, and other tools to help with desilting, refuse collection, and transporting waste to approved disposal sites.
The AMA reminded residents that failing to comply with the sanitation directive or refusing to participate in communal labour is an offence.
It said offenders risk a fine of up to 100 penalty units, imprisonment between 30 days and six months, or both, with repeat offenders liable to additional daily penalties.
It urged all residents, traders, transport operators, market women, shop owners, landlords, tenants, and businesses to actively participate in the exercise.
The AMA said it counts on everyone’s collective responsibility to keep Accra clean, liveable, and resilient, especially as the city approaches Christmas and the New Year.
By: Jacob Aggrey
