Africa Calls for Irrigation Investment Ahead of El Niño Climate Shock
KIGALI, Sep 14 2026 — As drought threatens food security across southern Africa, agricultural leaders are urging immediate investment in irrigation infrastructure to reduce dependence on rainfall and protect millions from hunger.
At the Africa Food Systems Forum held this week at Kigali Convention Centre, ministers and development partners agreed that only 5 percent of Africa's arable land is currently under irrigation — a stark contrast to Asia, which irrigates roughly seven times more and holds three-quarters of the world's irrigated land.
Approximately 95 percent of Africa's arable land depends heavily on rainfall, making it highly vulnerable to climate shocks. The El Niño-induced drought expected to hit southern Africa in the coming months is anticipated to worsen food insecurity across the region.
The El Niño Warning
When El Niño struck southern Africa during the 2023/2024 agricultural season, it triggered one of the driest mid-seasons in over 40 years. The event devastated rain-fed maize production and left more than 26 million people facing hunger across Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, and Zambia. Those countries subsequently declared national drought disasters to mobilize resources from public, private, and humanitarian sources.
Nigeria's Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari, addressed the issue during a side event organized by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), a global research organization addressing water challenges in developing countries.
"Some irrigation systems have been developed. The task now is to take it to scale," Kyari said. "The technology is there and the workforce is there. What we need is collective action."
A Framework for Action
Abubakar proposed the adoption and operationalization of the African Union Framework on Irrigation Development and Agricultural Water Management. The framework, published in 2020, serves as a continental blueprint designed to boost food security, adapt to climate change, and modernize agriculture across member states.
Africa holds about 9 percent of the world's renewable freshwater systems. Abubakar emphasized that the continent faces not scarcity but strategic abundance.
"This is not a continent of scarcity but of strategic abundance," he said. "Our task now is not to apportion blame but to break that cycle."
Investment Gaps and Financing Needs
Experts gathered at the forum identified a significant investment gap in irrigation infrastructure. With only a fraction of arable land equipped for controlled water delivery, farmers — particularly smallholders who make up 80 percent of all farmers in sub-Saharan Africa — remain at the mercy of seasonal weather patterns.
Kyari called for innovative financing mechanisms to close the investment gap and strengthen water management systems across the continent. He emphasized that sustained investment in irrigation would help farmers adapt to climate change, reduce post-harvest losses, and build resilience against future El Niño events.
Regional Infrastructure Developments
Beyond policy discussions, concrete investment announcements emerged during the forum. In separate developments, Vietnam and France committed nearly $54 million to an integrated water-resources management project in Dien Bien province. The project, financed by a $45 million loan from the French Development Agency (AFD) alongside grant funding and Vietnamese counterpart contributions, aims to improve irrigation for approximately 21,000 hectares of agricultural land while providing stable domestic water access to around 35,000 people.
The Dien Bien project exemplifies the type of coordinated investment that agricultural experts are calling for across Africa — combining irrigation development, rural water security, and environmental protection to create stronger foundations for climate-resilient food systems.
Looking Ahead
As governments finalize commitments from the Africa Food Systems Forum, the focus now shifts to implementation. IWMI and other development partners will work with national ministries to translate the framework into concrete projects that expand irrigation access, improve water management, and protect food production against increasingly unpredictable climate patterns.
For the more than 439 million Africans living in extreme poverty, these investments could mean the difference between harvest and hunger. With El Niño approaching and rainfall patterns becoming more erratic, the window for action is narrowing.
Sources
- Inter Press Service, September 14, 2026 —
- GrowinAgri Daily, September 14, 2026 —
FIRAT Editorial
Research Contributor · Foresight Institute of Research and Translation
FIRAT Editorial contributes to FIRAT's mission of generating evidence-based research and translating scientific breakthroughs into sustainable African development.
