Why financial inclusion for African farmers matters 

 It is unfair to mention African development pillars without mentioning the agriculture sector which employs nearly half of the population of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).   The sector has enormous benefits to the continent, where farmer-centred organizations such as AGRA (Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa) argue that nearly one-half of the young population is involved in the continent’s 60 million farms.  It is with no doubt that African farms stand to be the next profitable food market suppliers of the world.   “Out of total urban food sales of roughly US$200 to US$250 billion per year, over 80 per centcomes from domestic African suppliers,” according to AGRA.  Nearly 23 per cent of SSA’s GDP comes from agriculture (McKinsey, 2019); the sector is responsible for providing decent income, growth and poverty reduction for SSA.  The region’s food market was valued at $300 billion in 2017 and it could be worth around $1 trillion ten years from now (World Bank, 2020).  All these numbers and facts do not make up for a utopian horizon for farmers to dwell upon and reap unrestrained benefits. Sadly, there are a few hurdles to jump, and one of them is the lack of formal financial services for farmers.  Also Read: Kenyan youth