New speakers announced for the Africa Technology Summit’s Agritech Panel

The second edition of the Africa Technology Summit (ATS) will take place on December 6-7 at Intercontinental Hotel Lagos. The summit which will be hosted by MEST will see all panel topics deliberately focused on relevant trends seen in the Africa technology ecosystem with Developments in Agri-Tech is one of the first.

In attendance will be Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, to join the ATS Agri-Tech panel in discussing how technology can facilitate a shift from national dependence on the oil & gas to agriculture and other overlooked industries.

He will be joined by Angel Adelaja, Founder/CEO of Fresh Direct produce – a high-tech farm run by using hydroculture planting methods to grow large quantity of fresh vegetables, and winner of Chivas’ The Venture 2016; Nasir Yammama, Founder/CEO of Verdant Agritech Limited – a creative technologist with numerous accolades including close mentorship relationship with Richard Branson; Imoudu Alexander Osikhena, Head of Investment and Business Development (Africa) at Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s CAVA Project, and Alloysius Attah, CEO/Cofounder of Farmline – a platform focused on smallholder farmers which uses technology to link farmers to markets, finance, inputs and equipment services.

This varied panel will feature discussions on the current state of affairs of the agriculture industry, how to encourage the youth population to get on board, and ways to spur intensive research and innovation in agriculture, not only in Nigeria but Africa-wide.

These business and policy leaders will discuss and exchange ideas on what is needed in the coming years – focusing on innovation between government and business, as well as the challenges and opportunities of the agriculture industry. The goal is to brainstorm measures to build an economy that is self-dependent and does not need to import food that can be grown here.

During the 2-day summit, there will be a demo day where MEST’s top portfolio companies will pitch in front of a range of investors, celebrating the truest peak of innovation that comes from Africa.