Alternative Bank Commits To Tackling Food Insecurity

The Alternative Bank has unveiled plans to transform Africa’s agricultural landscape with the unveiling of an ethical financing framework designed to place farmers, not financiers, at the heart of the continent’s food security future.

The bank’s executive director for the North, Mr Garba Mohammed, represented by his chief of staff, Mr Azeez Badru, disclosed this at the 2025 Agriculture Summit Africa yesterday.

Speaking on the theme: “Survival of the Greenest: Reclaiming Africa’s Food Destiny,” Mohammed reiterated that Africa’s prosperity depends not only on how food is cultivated and processed, but on how it is financed.

“This theme signals a continental awakening, Africa’s food destiny will not be reclaimed by technology alone, but by the courage to finance differently, to make money serve humanity rather than the other way around.

“Amid Nigeria’s escalating food security crisis, The Alternative Bank is leading a movement towards ethical, transparent, and equitable financing,” Mohammed said.

He described agriculture as “a sacred trust” and reaffirmed that the bank’s mission is to fund productivity, not speculation.

“We are financing purpose, not just profit. Agriculture is a national responsibility. Every loan, every partnership must feed families, preserve the land, and build resilience. That is the essence of ethical finance,” he said.

“Drawing on time-tested non-interest financing models such as Mudarabah (profit-and-loss bearing), Musharakah (equity partnership), Ijara (lease-to-own financing), and Murabaha (cost-plus trade finance).

“The bank’s strategy redistributes risk and reward across the agricultural value chain. These tools empower producers, processors, and distributors while keeping financing grounded in fairness and sustainability,” he said.

He also noted, those who feed Africa have carried the heaviest burden while financiers reap the greatest returns. That imbalance, he affirmed, must end, and The Alternative Bank intends to lead the way.

He also emphasised that the bank’s support extends beyond capital.

“Its financing encompasses renewable energy systems for irrigation, solar-powered cold storage, and waste-to-value innovations, solutions that reduce environmental impact while improving yield and income.

“The survival of the greenest challenges us to build systems that reward stewardship over speculation, and to finance not just growth, but good,” Mohammed said.

He also reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to reshaping Africa’s food systems through finance that empowers rather than exploits.

Mohammed commended the organisers of the 2025 Agriculture Summit Africa for the fear.

He called on institutions, investors, and innovators to join in placing farmers at the centre of transformation, where dignity, equity, and sustainability drive every transaction.

“We are leading this charge and welcome farmers, off-takers, partners, and all who believe finance should build fair, resilient food systems,” he said. (NAN)