By Juliet Umeh

Agriculture firm, OCP Africa, has highlighted the importance of agro-industrial companies in creating solutions for sustainable farming and ensuring food security in Africa.

Country Manager of OCP Africa- Nigeria, Engr. Oluwatoba Clement Asana, stated this while highlighting the company’s strategic initiatives aimed at transforming agriculture in Africa at the 2024 Food and Energy Security in Africa Conference held in Lagos recently.

The event, hosted by White & Case LLP in collaboration with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), AFREXIM, and African Finance Corporation (AFC), brought together industry leaders, policymakers, and experts to discuss critical issues on food and energy security plaguing Africa.

Speaking during a fireside chat at the conference, Engr. Asana underlined the immense potential of Africa’s vast arable land and the urgent need to unlock its value.

He stated that, “Africa possesses over 60 percent of the world’s arable land yet contributes only 10 percent to global food production and this underscores the urgent need for action to harness the continent’s agricultural potential.

“As a company, if we don’t focus on agriculture, we are going to face more problems—problems that are already manifesting in some parts of Africa today. “Once resources become scarce, competition grows, leading to instability and insecurity, even at the household/family levels. That is what we’re seeing, and agriculture must be part of the solution.”

He also elaborated on OCP Africa’s strategic approach, which includes the use of mobile laboratories or “School Labs” to provide extensive soil testing, tailored recommendations, training, and customized fertilizers that meet specific crop and regional needs.

OCP Africa Nigeria has invested $43.1 million in blending facilities across Ogun, Kaduna, and Sokoto states, boosting Nigeria’s annual fertilizer production by over 500,000 metric tons. Similar projects have been completed in Rwanda, with ongoing developments in Senegal, Côte D’Ivoire, Tanzania, Zambia, and Ethiopia. The company’s Farm and Fortune Hub initiative, with over 200 hubs in Nigeria, enhances access to fertilizers and quality inputs for smallholder farmers.

Operating in 35 African countries with 12 subsidiaries, OCP Africa continues to customize solutions and demonstrate its commitment to the continent.

Mr. Asana also said: “The role of collaboration in agriculture cannot be overstated. We don’t keep the results to ourselves; we work with our partners in government, industry, local communities, and research institutes to ensure that our initiatives have the broadest impact.”

He disclosed that collaborative efforts are focused on transforming the agricultural landscape in Nigeria, not just by increasing crop yields from 1.2 tons per hectare to 5.5 tons per hectare, but by creating a sustainable model that empowers farmers, strengthens food security, and fuels long-term economic growth for the nation.

Talking about the collaborations between OCP Africa and the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, he mentioned the strategic importance of the $1.4B Multipurpose Industrial Platform’s to the development of Africa’s agriculture and the contributions expected from the commercial farming partnership which is meant to cultivate 150,000 arable lands in Nigeria.

Engr. Asana also spoke on the plans of the parent company, OCP Group, and its sustainability projects of meeting 100% of its water needs from non-conventional sources by the end of 2024, producing 20 million tonnes of fertilizers and many others geared towards attaining carbon neutrality by 2027. According to him, OCP Group is investing a total of $13B between 2023 and 2027 to achieve its targets.

The forum also featured keynote speeches from key stakeholders, including Samaila Zubairu, President and CEO of the African Finance Corporation (AFC), and Aminu Umar-Sadiq, CEO of NSIA.