FINAS 2025 wraps up with bold commitments to inclusive and resilient agriculture in Africa

Nairobi’s Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) hosted the Financing Agri-Food Systems Sustainably (FINAS) 2025 Summit. This annual, one-of-a-kind event aimed to positively transform Africa’s agri-food systems by addressing the persistent challenge of financial access and offering innovative solutions for resilient and inclusive agricultural growth.

FINAS 2025 overview: a catalyst for agricultural transformation

The event assembled various stakeholders in the sector, including policymakers, financial institutions, agribusiness leaders, agri-tech companies, and development partners. Under the theme Taking Ownership: Rethinking Sustainable Financing for Africa’s Food Systems, FINAS 2025 sought to address critical challenges plaguing agricultural financing.

The summit focused on:

• Inclusive food systems policy: Examining Kenya’s adaptation of the Kampala Declaration and exploring reforms in fertiliser subsidy models.
• Youth & women financial inclusion: Developing tailored financial instruments, enhancing SME financial literacy, and expanding banking access.
• Funding resilience & climate adaptation: De-risking food system investments, promoting biodiversity, and strengthening green finance frameworks.
• Innovation, data & technology: Scaling financial access through fintech solutions, leveraging data analytics, and improving last-mile service delivery.

FINAS 2025 key participants and collaborative efforts

The summit was a collaborative initiative involving diverse stakeholders in the agricultural sector. Some of the notable organisations that took part in the three-day summit include GIZ, AGRA, FSD Kenya, Aceli Africa, Finance in Motion, the Africa Development Bank, the Netherlands Food Partnership, and Heifer International.

Agriculture Principal Secretary Dr. Paul Ronoh emphasised the urgent need for a sustainable funding structure in the sector. He highlighted that the government has increased the agricultural budget to Ksh 77.7 billion for the 2025/26 fiscal year, reinforcing its commitment to food security, job creation, and market access.

Speaking during the official launching ceremony of the summit, Mutai Kagwe, Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, emphasised the need to upscale funding in the agricultural sector. The CS said:

In Kenya, out of the total commercial banks’ loan book of US$49 bn in 2023, only three per cent was lent to the agricultural sector. This is a sad indictment. I urge our financial institutions to be more creative and alive to the intricacies of farming as a business. Innovate. In this way, we will be pivoting and effecting a paradigm shift to a more inclusive, innovative, and sustainable financing ecosystem. And the key driver here is technology.

On the third day of the event, Prime Cabinet Secretary of Kenya, Musalia Mudavadi, graced the summit and added his voice to the growing call for prioritising the financing of rural and underserved communities. He urged participants to consider smarter, blended finance instruments and innovations such as climate bonds and diaspora bonds. He declared:

What we need now is not merely more financing but smarter, more inclusive and context-sensitive financing. We must rethink not just the quantity of resources but their structure, purpose and accessibility.

Recognising excellence and fostering innovation

FINAS 2025 also spotlighted groundbreaking financial solutions through awards in categories such as financial inclusion, agricultural insurance, and innovative funding technologies. The event featured pre-conference dialogues, keynote speeches, interactive sessions, an innovation hackathon, exhibitions, and post-conference discussions to drive actionable outcomes.

FINAS 2025 represented a significant step toward transforming agricultural financing in Africa. By bringing together diverse stakeholders to address pressing challenges and explore innovative solutions, the summit laid the foundation for a more resilient and self-sufficient agri-food sector across the continent.