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The opening ceremony of the 12th ANAPRI Stakeholders Conference set a strong foundation for the discussions in Kigali, Rwanda. Moderated by the Master of Ceremony, Eugene Anagwe, the session blended cultural performance by the Inganzo Ngari traditional dancers with strategic messages from government, partners, and ANAPRI leadership.
Welcome remarks were delivered by Seth Kwizera, Executive Director of EPRN Rwanda, who reflected on the diverse crises shaping Africa’s agricultural landscape. He highlighted Rwanda’s ambition under its Fifth Strategic Plan for Agriculture Transformation and noted its alignment with continental frameworks such as CAADP 3.0. He expressed optimism that the conference would deliver practical, evidence-led solutions for the region. ANAPRI secretariat ED, Dr Antony Chapoto, reinforced the vital contribution of research networks to evidence-based policymaking and investment decisions.
The message from ANAPRI Board Chair, Damas Philip, was delivered by Salomo Mbai. It underscored the relevance of this year’s theme, which focuses on driving agricultural transformation through strategic investments, resilient policies, and strong global partnerships. The address highlighted ANAPRI’s decade-long role as a trusted convenor linking evidence to action and urged participants to move beyond discussion and commit to tangible, measurable steps that strengthen Africa’s capacity to feed itself, trade competitively, and navigate climate risks.
Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa at FAO, Abebe Haile-Gabriel acknowledged the pressures Africa faces, including climate shocks and macroeconomic instability, but emphasised the opportunities these create to build more efficient, inclusive, and sustainable agri-food systems. He encouraged a shift from fragmented interventions toward integrated, systems-based approaches supported by foresight, analytics, and coherent policies. He commended ANAPRI’s role in advancing data-driven decision-making that enables governments to design more effective programmes. He also reaffirmed FAO’s commitment to working with ANAPRI through joint research, policy dialogue, capacity development, and forward-looking analysis.
The keynote address by Rwanda’s Minister of State for Agriculture and Animal Resources, Dr Telesphore Ndabamenye, provided national and continental perspectives on agricultural transformation. He outlined Rwanda’s priorities, including climate-smart agriculture, digital innovation, improved seed systems, mechanisation, and nutrition-sensitive programming. He stressed the importance of private sector engagement and the full inclusion of women and young people across value chains. The Minister officially opened the conference with a call to move decisively from dialogue to action.
The session concluded with a call to champion systems thinking, leverage data and innovation, deepen regional markets, and strengthen accountability. Participants were encouraged to commit to clear, measurable actions that can drive real transformation across the continent.
Watch the recorded session here.