Kenya is set to host the Africa International Agriculture Expo (AIAE) 2025 in Nairobi, a flagship continental event that promises to catalyze a new era of agricultural productivity, innovation and inclusive growth across Africa.
Subsequently, Agriculture Principal Secretary Dr. Kipronoh Ronoh has officially kicked off preparations for the Expo scheduled for October 2025 during a high-profile briefing held at a Nairobi hotel.
Themed ,Improving Agricultural Productivity in Africa through Innovation and Market Access, the event represents a transformative moment for Africa’s agricultural sector.
It signals a bold call to action in advancing food security and sustainable development. We are championing a future where innovation meets inclusion and where farmers from smallholders to agribusinesses thrive through access to markets, technology, and opportunity, added Dr. Ronoh.
AIAE 2025 will bring together over 15,000 participants and over 300 exhibitors, policymakers, researchers, startups, NGOs, agritech innovators, development partners and thousands of farmers from across the continent and beyond.
“Africa’s agricultural future lies in innovation, collaboration, and inclusive market access. AIAE 2025 is our platform to unlock that potential from the smallest farmer to the biggest idea,” said Amb. Demeke Atnafu, the Ethiopian Deputy Head of Mission in Nairobi.
Exhibitions and expert panels will showcase breakthrough technologies in precision farming, agri-finance, climate-smart solutions, post-harvest handling, value addition, renewable energy, and digital agriculture tools including blockchain and mobile apps that boost market access and traceability.
“Kenya’s selection as host reflects its pivotal role in African agriculture. The sector contributes over 22 percent directly and 27 percent indirectly to the national GDP, employing more than 70 percent of the rural population. Africa holds the greatest untapped potential for agricultural growth. With the right innovation, policy support, and market integration, we can feed not just ourselves but the world,” said Agri Africa Exhibition Limited CEO Tito Mutai.
“Kenya’s thriving innovation ecosystem, powered by universities, research institutions and private sector leadership, makes it the ideal ground for scalable, continent-wide solutions,” the PS noted.
During the expo, special focus will be placed on youth and women in agribusiness, with dedicated sessions addressing the systemic barriers they face, said Dr. Ronoh, adding that the event organizers have already affirmed that equity, inclusion and sustainability will be anchored in all their programming. Dr. Ronoh said
At the same time, AIAE 2025 also aligns closely with regional goals including the African Union’s Agribusiness Strategy 2030 and is expected to draw delegations from over 40 countries, as well as major development financiers and agribusiness investors.
In a resounding call to action, the PS urged governments, private sector actors, civil society, and donors to forge bold partnerships, simplify regulatory bottlenecks, and invest in research, skills training and cross-border collaboration.
And as preparations intensify, the AIAE 2025 stands as a rallying point for a unified, tech-driven, and farmer-centered transformation of African agriculture.
Other officials present at the function included Hongxing International Exhibition Co. Ltd CEO Ding Guiping, government officials, and representatives from non-governmental organizations.
Meanwhile, the government remains committed to its concerted efforts towards facilitating national and county-level policy dialogue, scaling local innovations, and mobilizing investment across value chains, even as national strategies such as the Agricultural Sector Transformation and Growth Strategy (ASTGS) and the Kenya Kwanza Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) continue to place agriculture at the heart of Kenya’s development agenda.
By Violet Otindo
