African policymakers and experts gathered in Nairobi this week to emphasize the need for increased coordination, investment, and commercialization of the continent’s biological resources to advance the bioeconomy. The Africa Bioeconomy Workshop, held over two days, highlighted the sector’s potential to transform food systems, promote sustainable materials, support biopharmaceuticals, and accelerate the transition to low-carbon, nature-positive economies.

Abdou Tenkouano, director general of the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, described the bioeconomy as a pathway toward a greener future. He highlighted that agriculture contributes between 23 and 35 percent of GDP in many sub-Saharan African countries and generates significant biomass, which can serve as a foundation for bioeconomic development. According to Tenkouano, value addition to biomass through strengthened supply chains and distributed manufacturing can foster sustainable and inclusive economic growth. He called for enhanced innovation, entrepreneurship, agro-processing, and bioprocessing efforts to create jobs and increase incomes, particularly through partnerships between universities and industry. Tenkouano also urged greater regional cooperation on standards, financing, education, research, and youth involvement.

Sierra Leone’s deputy minister of agriculture and food security, Isata Kamanda, underscored the importance of accessible financial instruments that can help domestic agro-processors scale up innovations and produce competitive goods for both regional and international markets. She stressed that bioeconomy financing must extend beyond large companies and research institutions to reach local businesses. Kamanda also advocated for shared regional infrastructure, especially in West Africa, suggesting that expensive facilities such as genomic laboratories could be centralized to better serve multiple countries. She emphasized food sovereignty as a critical concern, noting how disruptions in global trade expose African nations dependent on imports to shortages. To address this, Sierra Leone is seeking to industrialize cassava production, aiming to produce flour that can replace imported wheat in bread and confectionery products. Kamanda highlighted the importance of creating value chains that retain more economic benefits domestically rather than simply increasing agricultural output.

Kenya’s principal secretary in the State Department for Science, Research and Innovation, Shaukat Abdulrazak, called for the establishment of regional centers of excellence and stronger collaboration among African countries. He advocated breaking down institutional silos to enhance cooperation and facilitate the movement of students and researchers across borders. Abdulrazak emphasized the need for closer partnerships between academia and industry to ensure innovations move efficiently from laboratories to market-ready solutions. He also pointed to the African Continental Free Trade Area as a vital framework for expanding markets and easing the transit of goods, services, capital, and personnel.

Niall O’Connor, director of the Stockholm Environment Institute Africa Centre, supported the call for value retention within Africa by moving from exporting raw biological materials toward boosting local processing and manufacturing capacities. He recommended shifting from isolated pilot projects to coordinated clusters that integrate producers, suppliers, researchers, processors, and investors to unlock the bioeconomy’s full potential.

Collectively, participants underscored that unlocking Africa’s bioeconomy will require sustained investments, policy alignment, and regional cooperation to promote sustainable economic development and resilience amid global challenges.