Adrian Fielding, the Director African CEO Forum, believes the current fertilizer and energy crisis, triggered by the war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, is a call wake for African producers to transform such crises into opportunities.
He told Food & Climate, that Africa faced a lot of crises last year, most notably the suspension of US aid, but managed to turn this crisis into an opportunity for growth, and needs to replicate that success in the current crisis.
The 2026 Africa CEO Forum will be held over two days, May 14 and 15, in Kigali, Rwanda.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the investment arm of the World Bank Group, which is hosting the forum, recently held a seminar in Cairo to discuss this issue.
Food & Climate conducted an interview with the Director African CEO Forum on the sidelines of the seminar. The following is the text of the interview:
This year’s forum is being held under difficult circumstances, namely the outbreak of war in the Middle East following the US and Israeli attack on Iran. This has led to a fertilizer and energy crisis, which in turn is reflected in food prices, in particular. Will the forum address this crisis?
Discussing food and energy issues is essential to the forum’s agenda. The reasons driving up food prices are not only related to fertilizer transportation but also to shipping costs.
The main factor in this matter is infrastructure. “Energy infrastructure transports energy, as do agri-bossiness”.
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Therefore, these activities are essential to the African CEO Forum, as are infrastructure and the future of shipping.
Cooperation between the continent’s countries, the future of energy, and ensuring sufficient food supply will also be crucial to the forum’s discussions.
As a director of the Africa CEO Forum, how do you see the current fertilizer crisis?
I believe the current fertilizer crisis is simply a wake-up call for producers in Africa.
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I also believe that there are opportunities within every crisis. Unfortunately, every crisis has its victims, but Africa faced numerous crises last year (2025), and we must work to transform these crises into sources of strength.
One such crisis was the cancellation of US aid. As you know, there were a lot of victims of Washington’s decision to halt aid, but Africa is capable of emerging stronger in the end.
This is what we want to do again with the fertilizer crisis, and with the current food and energy crises. This is what we want to emphasize: that we have learned from these experiences and that we have found solutions for our continent.
Trade flows between African countries face numerous challenges, foremost among them non-tariff barriers. How does the Africa CEO Forum address this issue?
I believe this challenge is closely linked to public digitalization. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) countries need greater harmonization and coordination within their frameworks. This means more digitalization, and more digitalization means fewer opportunities in the presence of these non-tariff barriers.
This issue also requires building trust, cooperation, and communication, all of which will ultimately make trade smoother between the countries of the continent.
Forum topics
The forum sessions cover a variety of topics, with the opening session titled: “Expand or Fail: Why Africa Must Embrace Joint Ownership.”
During the seminar, Adrian Fielding stated, “This year, we are exploring participation in projects across the African continent. The size of economies is crucial, and so is expansion. Fragmented markets are prone to rapid decline, and we need to be resilient.”
The forum sessions will discuss several key issues relevant to African economies, such as the recovery of gas production, renewable energy projects, artificial intelligence, technology, real estate, and healthcare.
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A session titled “Sustained Growth: Addressing the Challenges of Africa’s Agribusiness Sector” will examine fertilizer and food production.
According to the forum’s website, the African fertilizer market is expected to exceed $80 billion by 2030, driven by investments from companies such as Morocco’s OCD, Nigeria’s Dangote, and Indian Indorama in Egypt.
More details about the African CEO Forum in 2026