Africa Must Feed the World — Absa CEO
Africa’s ability to become a global food basket is increasingly being framed as one of the continent’s most significant economic opportunities, as shifting geopolitical dynamics and supply chain uncertainties reshape global priorities.
The Group Chief Executive Officer of Absa Group, Kenny Fihla, has urged a fundamental shift in how the continent positions itself, calling for a move away from narratives of vulnerability towards one anchored in strategic advantage and resource strength.
Speaking in a media interview, he highlighted Africa’s vast but underutilised agricultural land and rich endowment of critical minerals as key levers for long-term growth, resilience and global relevance.
“But I think there are opportunities that also come with this crisis. Africa is endowed with natural resources and minerals. These will continue to be in demand, either to support energy transition or to accelerate the development of AI and data centers.”
Mr Fihla pointed to the scale of the opportunity within the agricultural sector, noting that Africa holds approximately 60 per cent of the world’s uncultivated arable land — a resource base that, if effectively developed, could position the continent at the centre of global food security.
He emphasised that the challenge is not one of resource scarcity, but rather the pace and effectiveness of execution across value chains, infrastructure and policy frameworks.
“What can we do to accelerate the development of these resources that we have? How do we position ourselves to ensure that we take advantage of some of the crisis that is happening around us?” he questioned.
“Africa would emerge, and Ghana in particular is likely to lead that day.”
While deeper integration into global trade and financial systems inevitably exposes African economies to external shocks, Mr Fihla maintained that such exposure should be viewed through a lens of opportunity rather than risk aversion.
“Whatever happens in terms of the global economy shifts, it will affect the African continent. But I don’t think that should scare us.”
“If anything, we should see that as an opportunity for Africa to do more with the world and for Africa to benefit by leveraging its own resources for the benefit of its own people”, he added.
His remarks come at a time when global demand for food, energy transition materials and digital infrastructure inputs continues to rise, placing resource-rich regions such as Africa in a potentially advantageous position. For economies like Ghana, the call underscores the urgency of translating natural endowments into productivity gains, export strength and inclusive growth.
Ultimately, the pathway to realising this vision, according to Mr Fihla, lies in deliberate investment, policy coordination and a renewed commitment to harnessing Africa’s inherent strengths for both domestic prosperity and global impact.
