Rome, 19 February – Dr Mohamed Ibrahim, global entrepreneur and founder of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, delivered IFAD's Lecture during IFAD's 39th Governing Council, where he urged African leaders to invest more in the agricultural sector in the next 15 years.

Speaking to senior government officials representing IFAD’s member states, Ibrahim and discussed the important role of good governance, the impact of ethical business practices, and the importance of an educated and inspired population of young people in Africa.

Ibrahim took African governments to task for not living up to their commitments to invest in agriculture and rural development. He said it is essential that they create opportunities for young people in agriculture so that they are able to resist the dangerous call of extremism.

“No jobs, no hope,” he said, adding that Africa has more hungry, malnourished people than anywhere else in the world. “We are by far the least productive region in the agriculture sector but because we have more uncultivated, arable land than anywhere else, it presents opportunities.”

Watch the full IFAD Lecture