Urgent Investment Needed in Africa’s Blue Revolution to Avoid Food Security Crisis, UN General Assembly to Hear

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, September 24, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Urgent investment is needed to drive a blue revolution in African aquaculture that could feed millions and avoid a food systems collapse, WorldFish Director General Dr. Essam Yassin Mohammed will tell the UN General Assembly this week.

Speaking at the Global Center on Adaptation Leaders’ Dialogue on September 25, Dr. Mohammed will call for new partnerships and finance to support the continent’s aquaculture sector to bolster food security , create jobs and strengthen climate resilience as Africa’s population surges toward an additional one billion people by 2050.

Research indicates that Africa will need to increase supplies of aquatic foods by 74 per cent to maintain current consumption levels, with a projected deficit of 11 million MT annually by 2030.

Dr. Mohammed, who was recently included in the 2025 Forbes Sustainability Leaders List, will appear at the high-level session, which will be co-chaired by former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, and Senegalese President Macky Sall. Kenyan President William Ruto and Bill Gates, Chair of the Gates Foundation, are among the keynote speakers.

Africa’s aquaculture production has expanded by a factor of 5.6 in just two decades, reaching 2.5 million tonnes. Yet the sector still produces less than three per cent of global farmed fish. By comparison, Asia produces more than 90 million tonnes annually. According to Dr. Mohammed, Africa now stands where Asia stood 40 years ago, with the opportunity to leapfrog into climate-smart growth using modern science and digital technology.

“Africa can leapfrog toward a climate-smart aquaculture future but only if the $12 billion investment gap is closed,” said Dr. Mohammed, Director General of WorldFish and Senior Director of Aquatic Food Systems at CGIAR, the world’s largest publicly funded agrifood research network. “Every dollar invested in Africa’s blue food corridors delivers multiple returns. It nourishes families, protects coastlines, creates jobs for the continent’s youth and strengthens resilience to climate shocks.”

Capture fisheries continue to play a role in African production but their limits are clear. Wild catch has largely levelled off for decades but aquaculture production has risen by 6.6 per cent since 2020, contributing to 57 per cent of fish for consumption. Overfishing, habitat degradation and climate driven stock shifts mean the future lies in restoration and better management. Aquaculture, by contrast, has no such ceiling and can become the backbone of Africa’s fish and seafood supply by 2050.

“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Africa to transform its food systems,” said Dr Mohammed. “The science is ready, demand is rising and digital tools are widespread. What is missing is the collective resolve to act at scale.”

Donna Bowater
Marchmont Communications
donna@marchmontcomms.com

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