Bank calls for a shift from profit-driven lending to purpose-driven partnerships across Africa’s food system.
Lagos, Nigeria – November 2025.
The Alternative Bank is setting a fresh direction for agricultural finance in Africa with the launch of an ethical financing framework that places farmers, not financiers, at the heart of the continent’s food future.
Speaking at the Agriculture Summit Africa 2025, themed “Survival of the Greenest: Reclaiming Africa’s Food Destiny,” the Bank’s Executive Director (North), Garba Mohammed, represented by his Chief of Staff, Azeez Badru, said Africa’s prosperity depends not just on how food is grown or processed, but on how it is financed.
“Africa’s food destiny won’t be reclaimed by technology alone,” Mohammed said. “It will take the courage to finance differently — to make money serve humanity, not the other way around.”
With food insecurity deepening across Nigeria, The Alternative Bank is championing a model of finance built on ethics, transparency, and shared value.
Mohammed described agriculture as “a sacred trust,” explaining that the Bank’s goal is to fund productivity and resilience rather than speculation.
“We are financing purpose, not just profit,” he added. “Every loan, every partnership should feed families, protect the land, and strengthen communities. That’s the heart of ethical finance.”
The framework draws inspiration from non-interest financing systems such as Mudarabah (profit-and-loss sharing), Musharakah (equity partnership), Ijara (lease-to-own), and Murabaha (cost-plus trade).
These approaches share risk and reward more fairly across the agricultural value chain — from farmers to processors — while promoting long-term sustainability.
For too long, Mohammed noted, those who feed Africa have borne the greatest risks while financiers walked away with the largest gains. “That imbalance must end,” he said.
Beyond funding, The Alternative Bank is investing in renewable energy and green innovations — solar-powered cold rooms, irrigation systems, and waste-to-value solutions — all designed to help farmers cut costs, reduce waste, and improve their livelihoods.
“The survival of the greenest reminds us to build systems that reward stewardship over speculation,” Mohammed said. “We must finance not just growth, but good.”
In closing, he commended the organisers of Agriculture Summit Africa 2025 and reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to reshaping Africa’s food economy through finance that empowers rather than exploits.
“We’re leading this charge,” he said. “And we invite farmers, off-takers, partners, and everyone who believes finance should serve people — not profit — to join us.”
