Transforming agriculture in Africa using digital technologies: a perspective from the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture

This paper presents a conceptual underpinning for African Digital Agriculture Programme (AfriDAP), a proposed initiative to accelerate transformation of agriculture in Africa using digital technologies. It outlines a perspective of the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) for transformation of agriculture in Africa using digital technologies. RUFORUM brings together higher agricultural institutions in Africa, development partners in and outside Africa to address a continental challenge of transforming African agricultural higher education, science, technology, and innovation (AHESTI). The proposed AfriDAP will seek to achieve, within this strategic framework, the goal of digitalization of agriculture ecosystem in Africa whilst addressing three programmatic areas: Digital learning and sharing technologies for agriculture, data science development (research, big data management and capacity building for agriculture), and incubation and innovations for digital agriculture entrepreneurship and startups.