Twelve dynamic African entrepreneurs and scientists have been recognized, along with others from around the world, as the 2025 Top Agri-Food Pioneers (TAP) by the World Food Prize Foundation. This accolade highlights a shift toward homegrown solutions addressing food security, climate change and agricultural sustainability through science, resilience and community empowerment.
From Nigeria to Zimbabwe, Côte d’Ivoire to Kenya, this diverse cohort reflects a continent determined to own its food future not through aid, but through innovation. The announcement marks the Foundation’s 39th anniversary and precedes the prestigious Borlaug Dialogue, where the TAP cohort will be officially honored in Des Moines, Iowa later this year.
Building a Food-Secure Africa, One Solution at a Time
At the center of this year’s recognition is Jean Baptiste Tignegre, a leader in plant genetics and biotechnology at the African Agricultural Technology Foundation in Nigeria. Tignegre led the development and commercial rollout of Africa’s first biotech food crop, the Pod Borer-Resistant (PBR) cowpea, across Niger, Ghana, Burkina Faso and Mali. His work not only improved food security but also built regulatory frameworks, trained young scientists, and fostered trust in agricultural biotechnology on the continent.
In Côte d’Ivoire, Richard Seshie is proving that climate-smart infrastructure can drive prosperity. His low-carbon Agricare Farmer Centers solar-powered rural hubs for storage, drying, and processing have already reduced post-harvest losses for over 2,000 farmers, with 25% income increases. Seshie is spearheading rural transformation through youth employment and women-focused agriculture.
In Kenya, Joyce Rugano, CEO of Ecorich Solutions, invented the Wastebot a solar-powered AI device that converts organic waste into fertilizer within 24 hours. Already serving 7,200 smallholder farmers with over 15,000 bags of organic fertilizer, Ecorich has helped raise yields by 36% and cut synthetic fertilizer use by 37%.
In Nigeria Wale Adekunle, President and CEO of the Commonwealth Association for Agricultural Research and Development, has transformed Agricultural Research for Development with his Integrated Agricultural Research for Development (IAR4D) and Innovation Platform (IP) model. His approach connects farmers, researchers, and stakeholders to co-create practical, scalable solutions. Through blended learning tools in local languages, Adekunle has enabled real-time knowledge sharing and farmer-driven innovation. His work has improved food security, lifted millions from poverty, and influenced policy in 52 countries, earning him a UN Millennium Development Award.
Women Redefining Africa’s Agri-Future
Editha Mshiu, from Tanzania, leads Freshpack Technologies and developed the Freshpack Box, a smart cooling system that extends the shelf life of vegetables by 50%. Her solution tackles food waste and farmer losses head-on, with plans to scale production and expand into cold transport and display units by 2027.
Wassima Lakhdari, Algeria’s leading agroecologist, spent seven years developing Biotoug, the country’s first biofungicide. Her research is revolutionizing plant protection in arid zones, offering bio-based crop treatments and mentoring the next generation of agro-scientists across North Africa.
Phindi Cebekhulu-Msomi, CEO of Hazile Group in South Africa, is integrating hydroponics, solar tech and AI to power the Eco-Farm Pod a modular system revolutionizing food production in water-scarce regions. With a vision rooted in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Msomi is a fierce advocate for women-led agriculture and has received major accolades, including the BWASA Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year.
Southern Africa: A Thriving Epicenter of Innovation
Evangelista Chekera of Zimbabwe tackled chick mortality on smallholder farms by inventing a biomass-powered brooding system, leading to a 95% survival rate. Through Passion Poultry, her company now works with over 500 farmers, proving that small-scale poultry innovation can have large-scale impact.
Nawa Joe Silishebo of Zambia, founder of the Young Emerging Farmers Initiative (YEFI), is a leading youth and climate agriculture advocate. He promotes agroecology, regenerative farming and drought-resistant crops across Zambia, and led the 2024 Southern Africa Climate Youth Conference, securing $150,000 for youth-led agricultural resilience.
Inga Jacobs-Mata, a South African scientist and water governance leader at IWMI and CGIAR, is reshaping how innovation scales across African agriculture. Her work on the Ukama Ustawi program has helped millions of farmers gain access to finance, tech and tailored water-smart practices.
Bridging Science, Technology and Policy
In Egypt Magdi Elsayed advances crop resilience in arid regions through precision agriculture, AI-driven genotype selection, and smart irrigation. His work in projects like SIRRIMED has improved food security, shaped policy, and promoted sustainable water and nutrient use across Africa and the Middle East.
Finally, Ermias Kebreab, an Eritrean professor at UC Davis and Director of its World Food Center, has become a global authority on livestock emissions. His pioneering research on methane-reducing cow diets has shaped commercial solutions and influenced environmental policies worldwide. He now leads a $70 million project using CRISPR to mitigate livestock emissions through microbiome engineering.
Africa Leading, Not Following
This year’s TAP cohort signals a profound shift in the global narrative. These ten African leaders are not just solving problems; they are reimagining agriculture on their own terms scientifically, sustainably, and inclusively. From biotech breakthroughs to AI-powered waste conversion, the future of food is being invented in Africa, by Africans.
Their stories will be showcased at the 2025 Borlaug Dialogue in Des Moines, Iowa a global platform for food system transformation. But their real impact is happening every day across African farms, research labs, village centers and startup hubs.
