The Government of Rwanda, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC) and AUDA-NEPAD, hosted the 21st edition of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Partnership Platform (PP) and the 16th Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security (ADFNS) from 29–31 October 2025 in Kigali.

The three-day high-level gathering, held under the theme “From Malabo to Kampala: Accelerating Just, Resilient Agrifood Systems Transformation for Nutrition and Sustainable Growth,” marked a pivotal transition from the Malabo Declaration (2014) to the newly adopted CAADP Strategy and Ten-Year Action Plan (2026–2035), setting a bold agenda for the next decade of Africa’s agricultural transformation.

In a keynote address that set the tone for the platform, Hon. Dr. Mark Cyubahiro Bagabe, Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, urged partners to move from commitments to tangible action, emphasizing that the continent’s transformation must be driven by Africans through partnership, innovation, and collective purpose.

Minister Bagabe highlighted the critical need for mobilizing substantial resources to meet the ambitious targets outlined in the Kampala CAADP Strategy and Action Plan (2026–2035).

“Implementing the CAADP strategy will require achieving the Kampala target of mobilizing $100 billion by 2035,” Dr. Bagabe stated. “This necessitates bold, blended financing that effectively combines public, private, and climate-focused investments.”

The CAADP PP meeting served as a platform to galvanize support for the Kampala Declaration, described as more than just a policy document but as a commitment to build resilient, inclusive, and sustainable agrifood systems that deliver zero hunger, equitable livelihoods, and environmental sustainability by 2035.

The transition from the Malabo era focused on accountability to the Kampala era, which demands measurable delivery and transformation, was a central theme.

Representing AUDA-NEPAD, Ms. Estherine Fotabong, Director of Agriculture, Food Security and Environmental Sustainability, emphasized that the Kampala Declaration must be different.

“It must be different from the Maputo Declaration, which focused on commitments, and from the Malabo Declaration, which emphasized accountability, because the Kampala Declaration must be about delivery and transformation, measured in hectares restored, markets expanded, youth employed, and communities nourished,” she said.

In his remarks, H.E. Mr. Moses Vilakati, AU Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, emphasized that the challenge is one of justice and sovereignty.

“Ending hunger and malnutrition is a development priority as well as a matter of justice and dignity. The African Union’s 2025 theme, ‘Year of Reparations: Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations,’ gives our work deeper meaning. True reparative justice must also mean reclaiming control over our food systems, restoring the dignity of farmers, and creating fairer trade and investment pathways,” he said.

 Commissioner Vilakati, further highlighted that the new strategy represents a strategic imperative for Africa to build sovereign and resilient food systems, including protecting agricultural biodiversity and revitalizing indigenous crops to strengthen resilience against climate shocks.

The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) is the African Union’s policy framework for agricultural transformation, wealth creation, food security and nutrition, economic growth, and prosperity. The Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security (ADFNS), commemorated annually, calls for renewed commitment and collective action to end hunger and malnutrition across the continent.

END.