H.E. Mr. Fekadu Tsega, Director General of the Policy Studies Institute (PSI), warmly welcomed participants to the 13th ANAPRI Annual Stakeholders Conference, held under the theme "Building Competitive Agrifood Economies: Policy, Trade, and Industrialization Pathways for Africa." On behalf of PSI, he expressed his appreciation to the distinguished government officials, representatives of continental and regional institutions, development partners, research organizations, private-sector actors, civil society, and scholars attending the conference. He particularly emphasized the importance of convening the gathering at a time when Africa's agricultural future is increasingly shaped by economic competitiveness, regional integration, technological advancement, employment creation, and sustainable livelihoods.
In his remarks, the Director General underscored that agriculture occupies a central position in Africa's development, sustaining millions of livelihoods, supplying raw materials to industry, supporting rural economies, and contributing to food security and social stability. However, he noted that the continent's considerable agricultural potential had yet to be fully translated into competitive industries, dynamic regional markets, and broadly shared prosperity. He therefore emphasized the need to move beyond agricultural production alone and adopt a comprehensive agrifood systems approach encompassing inputs, research, extension services, processing, logistics, finance, standards, trade, and market access.
He highlighted that the responsibility of policy research institutions should extend beyond identifying agricultural challenges to examining institutional constraints, assessing policy effectiveness, evaluating development interventions, and providing practical, evidence-based recommendations to decisionmakers. In this regard, he reaffirmed PSI's commitment to bridging the gap between research and policymaking.
Providing an overview of PSI's institutional background, he noted that the Institute was established in 2018 through the merger of the Ethiopian Development Research Institute, founded in 1999, and the Policy Study and Research Centre, established in 2006. He explained that PSI builds on more than 27 years of institutional research experience and currently operates six research centres and 14 research departments, with approximately 200 staff members. Its research activities cover key areas including agriculture, macroeconomic policy, industrial development, trade, governance, and social development.
Addressing the major priorities for strengthening Africa's agrifood competitiveness, the Director General highlighted four interconnected areas requiring collective attention.
First, he emphasized the importance of strengthening the relationship between agricultural productivity and industrial development. He explained that increasing agricultural production alone would not generate the full economic benefits Africa requires unless farmers had reliable markets, processors had consistent supplies of quality raw materials, and businesses had access to infrastructure, finance, technology, and predictable regulatory frameworks. He therefore stressed the need for policies that promote domestic value addition, manufacturing, enterprise development, employment creation, and export diversification.
Second, he highlighted regional integration as a critical driver of African agrifood competitiveness. Referring to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), he noted that it offered significant opportunities to expand markets, achieve economies of scale, and strengthen regional value chains. However, he cautioned that these opportunities depended on effective implementation, including addressing non-tariff barriers, improving transport and trade logistics, harmonizing standards, facilitating cross-border payments, and strengthening businesses' capacity to meet market requirements. He emphasized that research and policy should help translate regional commitments into measurable improvements in trade, investment, productivity, and employment.
Third, he underscored the importance of connecting technological innovation with practical economic needs and institutional capacity. He observed that artificial intelligence, digital farmer registries, agricultural data systems, and emerging analytical tools were creating new opportunities to improve public services, market information, and evidence-informed decision-making. Nevertheless, he emphasized that technology should be treated as a means rather than an end in itself, and that its adoption should be guided by practical relevance, accessibility, accountability, and sound data governance. He further stressed the need to strengthen local technological capabilities and ensure that innovation delivers meaningful benefits to farmers and citizens.
Fourth, he emphasized that sustainable agrifood competitiveness required stronger institutions and more effective public investment. He highlighted the challenges posed by soil degradation, climate-related shocks, inefficient input markets, and weaknesses in agricultural support systems. He noted that addressing these challenges required not merely increased public expenditure but also better allocation of resources towards interventions that improve productivity, restore natural resources, strengthen markets, and support vulnerable producers. He also emphasized the role of research institutions in evaluating agricultural expenditure, fertilizer and soil-health policies, and opportunities for private-sector participation.
The Director General further observed that these four priorities were closely interconnected, as industrial development depended on productive agriculture, productive agriculture benefited from efficient markets, and effective markets required appropriate infrastructure and strong institutions. He emphasized that credible evidence, technological innovation, and strategic public investment were essential to strengthening these relationships.
Turning to the significance of the conference, H.E. Mr. Fekadu Tsega noted that its success should ultimately be measured not by the number of sessions conducted or institutions represented, but by the quality of insights generated and the practical actions that followed. In this context, he highlighted the launch of the ANAPRI Flagship Report as an important opportunity to advance evidence-informed policy dialogue. He encouraged participants to use the report to identify policy gaps, stimulate critical discussions, and translate research findings into country-level priorities, institutional reforms, and practical interventions.
He also called for stronger engagement between researchers and policymakers, emphasizing that research agendas should respond to real policy challenges, while policy decisions should be informed by systematic evaluation and lessons from implementation. He reaffirmed the importance of strengthening African research capacity to generate, interpret, and apply contextually relevant and internationally credible policy evidence.
In conclusion, the Director General expressed his hope that the conference would strengthen collaboration among African policy research institutions and reinforce their collective contribution to addressing shared development challenges. He encouraged participants to translate research into practical policy actions and lasting institutional change through open dialogue, constructive debate, and meaningful collaboration. He concluded by wishing all participants productive discussions, meaningful partnerships, and successful deliberations towards building more competitive, resilient, and inclusive agrifood economies across Africa.