Supporting Africa's agri modernization

ADDIS ABABA — China's successful experience and technological advancements serve as an instructive model for driving Africa's agricultural modernization ambitions through robust industrialization, energy development and human capital enhancement, a United Nations Industrial Development Organization official said.

Dejene Tezera, director of the Agribusiness and Infrastructure Development Division at UNIDO, told Xinhua recently that China possesses the knowledge, technology and relevant resources to support Africa's sustainable development through cooperation in agriculture, industry, energy, capacity building and digitalization.

The China-Africa-UNIDO Center of Excellence, launched in November 2024 in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, is a practical platform for advancing Africa's sustainable development by promoting industrialization, agricultural modernization and skills development, Tezera said.

"Africa faces many development challenges, the most critical of which are low levels of industrialization, agricultural productivity and a shortage of skilled human resources," he said. Despite Africa's vast uncultivated arable land, abundant water resources and a highly trainable young population offering "huge potential" for its agricultural sector, productivity remains low compared to other regions.

To accelerate Africa's pursuit of agricultural modernization and improved productivity, the UN official underscored the urgent need for coordinated efforts.

Describing the center of excellence as a testament to thriving South-South cooperation, Tezera said China contributes its knowledge, technology and resources into the successful collaboration, while Ethiopia provides facilities and a supportive ecosystem for implementation, and UNIDO acts as the bridge ensuring technical assistance and coordination.

He said the tripartite initiative aims to help African countries shift from a demand-based agricultural production approach to a more commercialized production system through modernization.

"There is a very high potential to boost Africa's agricultural productivity if the right technologies, knowledge and skills are made available to African farmers. China has undergone similar agricultural development and we aim to leverage best practices from China to expedite Africa's agricultural modernization through targeted technology transfer endeavors," he said.

Highlighting the industry sector's "very low contribution" to the economy of many African countries, Tezera said that China's industrialization experience could provide the necessary impetus for Africa's industrialization efforts.

"China's industrialization journey, especially following the country's opening-up, has involved the development of industrial parks and zones, which can serve as an excellent approach to accelerate Africa's industrialization. By transferring best practices from China, Africa can leapfrog into a modern agricultural system and subsequently into industrialization," he said.

Tezera also emphasized the role of the energy sector in achieving Africa's agricultural modernization goals. He said that China's "extensive experience" in renewable energy development, including solar, wind and hydropower, can be tailored to meet Africa's specific energy needs.

"All of these technologies will be systematically adapted in a step-by-step manner through the center of excellence, which will engage with numerous African countries based on their specific contexts and needs," he added.

He said that the center of excellence, initially focusing on Ethiopia, aims to establish satellite centers across various African countries, thereby making a contribution to the continent's sustainable development.

"China is providing substantial financial resources to support African countries based on their needs, which facilitates the transfer of more practical and appropriate technologies from China to the African continent," he said.

Xinhua