In Africa, the transformation of food systems has become an urgent issue in the face of rapid population growth and major challenges such as climate change. While policy measures and commitments have been announced at both national and continental levels for several decades, a growing number of organizations are calling for a paradigm shift that places human capital at the heart of change. This approach is championed by the Center for African Leaders in Agriculture (CALA), an initiative led by AGRA. In this interview with Ecofin Agency, Lilian Githinji, Senior Specialist Institutional Capacity Strengthening at AGRA and CALA Lead, reflects on the program’s origins, its ambitions across the African continent, and its development outlook

Lilial Githinji, Senior Specialist Institutional Capacity Strengthening

Ecofin Agency: Could you provide an overview of the Center for African Leaders in Agriculture (CALA), explaining how it was established and the motivations behind its launch?

Lilian Githinji: Thanks. So, CALA is a flagship program of AGRA, with the primary purpose of developing the leadership capacities of individuals across three sectors—public, private, and civil society—to drive food systems transformation in their respective countries. The program was launched in 2021, and AGRA does not implement it alone.

We implement it through partners, such as the African Management Institute, which serves as our learning partner. The program also includes a coaching component facilitated by the African Network of Professional Facilitators; a network of coaches who work closely with the leaders we bring on board.

Their role is to guide participants in developing their leadership skills and to prepare them to take on the responsibility of driving food systems transformation in the countries where we have been in operation.

We ensure strong alignment with national agricultural and food systems priorities in the countries where we operate. At the continental level, we align with frameworks such as the Malabo Declaration under CAADP and now the Kampala Commitment, making sure our program supports both national flagship initiatives and broader continental goals.  

At CALA, we don’t simply train leaders or develop their capacity in isolation. Our goal is to prepare them to become engines of implementation for their national food systems priorities. These leaders are already influential—they work in government ministries and agencies, head civil society organizations, or hold senior positions in private companies.

We don’t build leadership from scratch; instead, we help them refine their skills, collaborate more effectively, and take on the responsibility of transforming food systems in their countries.

At CALA, we don’t simply train leaders or develop their capacity in isolation. Our goal is to prepare them to become engines of implementation for their national food systems priorities.

Thematic-wise, CALA focuses on developing specialized leadership capacities and working with leaders across different sectors of the economy, all of whom play a role in the broader food system. Our work is aligned with national food systems transformation priorities and continental frameworks, including the various CAADP and Malabo commitments.    

EA: CALA operates across diverse food systems and institutional environments. What are the key thematic areas in which CALA plans to strengthen the leadership of senior and emerging leaders from governments, the private sector, and civil society? 

LG:  First and foremost, it’s important to clarify that CALA focuses on food systems, not just agriculture. Food systems are broader because delivering food involves multiple sectors beyond agriculture, such as energy, water, and the environment.

CALA does not limit itself to specific thematic areas. Instead, it focuses on the leaders we work with—where they come from and how they contribute. The main goal is to enable these leaders to drive the implementation of their national food systems priorities.

We don’t work along predefined themes like agricultural production or market systems. What matters is that the leaders we engage with are actively involved in transforming food systems in their countries. To participate, leaders must provide evidence that their work is already connected to national food systems priorities. CALA supports them to strengthen their leadership, foster collaboration, and scale their impact within these priorities. 

EA: From your perspective, what leadership and governance gaps is the program designed to address in Africa’s food systems?

LG: I’m not sure if you’re familiar with the biannual reviews (BRs) of the previous accountability mechanisms for the CAADP commitments at the country level. Across many of these BR cycles, it became clear that one of the main reasons the CAADP commitments weren’t being properly implemented in countries was a lack of specialized leadership skills to drive implementation.

Many countries have strong national policies and are also signatories to continental agreements such as CAADP. Yet, the execution of these commitments often falls short, not due to poor policies, but because of gaps in leadership.

This isn’t about management; it’s about leaders who know how to collaborate effectively, coordinate resources, mobilize support, and take ownership of implementation. Addressing this leadership gap is the singular and primary purpose of CALA. The program exists to equip leaders with the capabilities they need to translate both national and continental food systems priorities into tangible results.

EA: Many countries have strong technical programs, but they often struggle with system-wide coordination. How CALA addresses this by working with leaders who can break institutional silos and foster collaborative information sharing across ministries, the private sector, and civil society?

LG: That is an important question. The first step CALA takes to break silos is bringing together leaders from sectors that typically operate in very different ways.

Public sector leaders have one way of working, private sector leaders another, and civil society actors yet another. By intentionally creating this cross-sectoral cohort, CALA encourages collaboration and shared understanding. CALA’s sector representation is not static; it continues to evolve. Leaders from civil society, academia, think tanks, government programs, and other spheres can be included. The objective is to continuously expand the range of perspectives while maintaining a strong focus on collaboration.

A second key element is the program structure itself. CALA runs for 16 months, largely online, with occasional in-person sessions. It is implemented in partnership with the African Management Institute and the African Network of Professional Facilitators, which provide coaching and guidance to help participants learn how to work together effectively and implement their national food systems priorities.

A third key element of CALA is the Action Learning Projects (ALPs), which are implemented during the final six months of the program. In this phase, delegates from each participating country—so far, eight African countries, primarily Anglophone—identify a real-life food systems challenge within their communities. These challenges can be at the national, sub-national, or grassroots level, such as limited access to improved seeds.

Delegates then collaboratively design a solution, write a proposal, and identify the necessary partners or networks within their communities to implement it. This ensures that participants do not merely learn about collaboration in theory, but practice it in the real world. The projects are structured so that success depends on working with multiple stakeholders, reflecting the reality that transforming food systems requires coordinated action across government, the private sector, and civil society.

Delegates then collaboratively design a solution, write a proposal, and identify the necessary partners or networks within their communities to implement it. This ensures that participants do not merely learn about collaboration in theory, but practice it in the real world.

Once implemented, the results of the ALPs are presented at the cohort graduation, which has become one of the most anticipated moments of the program. Delegates showcase their achievements, the challenges they encountered, the partnerships they built, and the sustainability of their solutions. For example, if a project focused on improving seed access, the evaluation would assess whether the partnerships and solutions could be sustained beyond the CALA program. In this way, ALPs reinforce collaboration, break institutional silos, and prepare leaders to drive systemic change in their national food systems.

EA: CALA recently announced its expansion into Francophone Africa, including Togo, Senegal, Mali, and Burkina Faso. What motivated this strategic move?

LG: CALA was designed from the outset as a truly pan-African food systems leadership program. While the initiative was initially piloted in eight countries—most of them Anglophone—the long-term vision has always been to expand across the entire continent as demand from African countries grows. The phased approach reflects this original vision: starting with a limited number of pilot countries and scaling up over time. Beyond Francophone countries, and subject to funding and partnerships, CALA aims to reach additional regions across Africa, remaining fully aligned with its pan-African mandate.

EA: With the upcoming expansion into Togo, Senegal, Mali, and Burkina Faso in 2026, what specific opportunities or challenges do you anticipate in Francophone contexts—both in terms of leadership development and food system transformation?

LG:  First and foremost, we are in a strong position, having accumulated substantial experience and learning since we began implementing CALA in 2021. Over the years, the program has evolved significantly, allowing us to refine and strengthen its design. These lessons enable us to implement CALA more effectively in new countries and deliver greater value to participating leaders.

As a result, we do not anticipate major challenges. We recognize that countries differ in their levels of food systems transformation and in how national priorities are implemented. CALA is therefore carefully adapted to the specific context of each country, as well as to regional characteristics across Anglophone, Lusophone, and Francophone settings. Language, for example, is not a major barrier, as we work with highly capable implementing partners who operate effectively across these regions.

Our expansion relies heavily on the partnerships we have built, the continued support and resources of our development partners, and the goodwill of governments in the countries we enter. In countries where AGRA does not have a physical presence, we leverage existing networks to identify and engage suitable delegates for CALA. While this process can take time—particularly in identifying the right leaders—we have mitigation strategies in place, including targeted awareness campaigns and collaboration with trusted partners to second leaders into the program.

Overall, these challenges are manageable and unlikely to stand in the way of our expansion agenda. We see significant opportunities in these countries, including a clear need for food systems transformation, strong potential for collaboration with incoming leaders, and opportunities to engage development partners we have not previously worked with.

Launching in new countries is one step; sustaining momentum is another. To do so, we will continue to rely on strong partnerships, adequate resources, government support, and the trust that stakeholders place in CALA as a leading food systems leadership program.

EA: The ceremony held in early December reflected a growing emphasis on youth leadership. Why has youth leadership become such a strategic priority for CALA?

LG: We intentionally include youth in CALA to build a strong pipeline of future food systems leaders in Africa. Leadership is not innate; it is developed, and CALA aims to play a central role in nurturing the next generation of leaders. In Cohort Four, for example, we deliberately ensured that 40 percent of delegates were youth. It is important to note, however, that these young leaders are not recent graduates. They are already driving transformational change within their food systems. CALA provides a platform to recognize their potential, strengthen their leadership capabilities, and prepare them to become even more influential leaders in the future.

Another reason we bring young leaders into the program is to enable learning from senior leaders. Within each country cohort, a mix of younger and more experienced leaders—for example, two youth leaders alongside three senior leaders—creates space for mentorship and cross-generational learning. Young leaders gain insights from those who have navigated complex systems, while senior leaders benefit from fresh perspectives and innovative approaches. This intentional design will remain a priority for CALA, as it is essential to developing a healthy and sustainable pipeline of food systems leaders, both for today and for the future.

EA: What long-term impact do you expect CALA alumni to have in their respective countries?

LG: The long-term impact of CALA begins with strengthening the institutional capacity of the organizations these leaders come from. Graduates therefore leave CALA not only as individual leaders, but as change agents within their own institutions. These are individuals who are already influential in their roles, and the skills, coaching, collaborations, and tools they gain through CALA are transferred back into their organizations. In effect, by developing one leader, CALA helps build the leadership and institutional capacity of the entire organization.

Our expansion relies heavily on the partnerships we have built, the continued support and resources of our development partners, and the goodwill of governments in the countries we enter. In countries where AGRA does not have a physical presence, we leverage existing networks to identify and engage suitable delegates for CALA

CALA operates on the principle that leadership development has a regional impact. By strengthening the skills of individual leaders, the program collectively enhances the leadership capacity of their institutions. As more institutions are led by more effective leaders, the cumulative effect drives meaningful change across food systems.

Public sector leaders trained through CALA model stronger leadership within government. Private sector leaders strengthen their contributions to food systems transformation. Civil society organizations operate more effectively within national ecosystems. Together, this creates a growing community of food systems leaders capable of driving transformation at scale. That is the broader ambition of CALA.

EA: If you had one final message to share with governments and the private sector, what would it be?

LG: A key message to our existing and potential partners, as well as to stakeholders and the sectors from which CALA draws its delegates, is that leadership capacity remains the missing ingredient in Africa’s food systems transformation. Across successive biennial review cycles of the Malabo and Kampala commitments, this gap has consistently been identified as a major limiting factor.

We are calling on partners to support CALA in meaningful ways, so that we can continue to cultivate the leadership required for food systems transformation.

CALA does not operate in isolation. We are fully aware of other food systems leadership initiatives and, in some cases, actively collaborate with them. CALA’s distinct contribution lies in addressing this leadership gap by developing the specific capabilities leaders need to drive meaningful and sustained transformation.

We are calling on partners to support CALA in meaningful ways, so that we can continue to cultivate the leadership required for food systems transformation.

Our expansion priorities are twofold: geographic and programmatic. Horizontally, we aim to extend CALA’s reach across the continent. Vertically, we seek to deepen partner engagement and strengthen the calibre of leaders involved at the country level.

African governments bear the primary responsibility for transforming food systems in their respective countries, but they cannot do so alone. Gaps in the implementation of national food systems agendas often stem from insufficient cross-sector collaboration. CALA provides a platform that brings together leaders from government, the private sector, and civil society to work collectively toward systemic change.

We recognize that the impact of leadership development takes time. Some alumni may, at present, demonstrate only early or incremental results, but transformation is inherently a long-term process. Just as Rome was not built in a day, building a critical mass of capable leaders requires patience. Over time, this investment will generate meaningful change and visible signals of transformation. Supporting CALA therefore requires sustained commitment, patience, and a shared belief in the importance of developing the next generation of food systems leaders.

Interview by Espoir Olodo