Leadway Assurance has called for stronger climate-risk insurance solutions to protect farmers, agribusinesses and investments across Africa’s agricultural value chain.
The insurance company made the call at the ninth edition of Agriculture Summit Africa (ASA) 2026, organised by Sterling Bank in Abuja.
The summit, held from September 15 to 16 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, brought together stakeholders from government, agribusiness, finance, insurance, technology, research and farming to discuss ways to strengthen Africa’s food systems.
Speaking during a panel session titled “Climate Risk Management for Sustainability: Future-Proofing Africa’s Food System,” Ayoola Fatona, Global Head, Agricultural Risk Solutions, Leadway Assurance, identified affordability and lack of trust as major barriers to insurance adoption among smallholder farmers.
Fatona said Leadway had been working with partners to address these challenges and improve farmers’ access to insurance protection.
“At Leadway, we have sought to address these challenges by building partnerships with organisations that share our commitment to advancing the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and strengthening their resilience to climate-related risks,” she said.
According to her, the partnerships have helped mobilise funding to pre-finance insurance premiums, allowing farmers to have coverage in place from the beginning of the planting season.
“In the 2025 wet season alone, our partnerships enabled us to mobilise over US$1.2 million to provide insurance coverage for more than 400,000 farmers,” Fatona said.
She added that Leadway was also focused on building greater confidence in agricultural insurance through timely claims payments.
“Beyond affordability, we recognise that trust must be earned through action,” she said. “That is why we remain committed to ensuring constant and rapid payouts, no matter how large, whenever insured events occur.”
Leadway is also using technology to address the challenges of reaching farmers in remote communities, particularly areas affected by insecurity.
The company said it is leveraging remote sensing and other technology-enabled solutions to assess farms virtually, understand farming structures and practices, and maintain engagement with farmers where physical access is difficult.
The company’s participation at the summit is part of its efforts to promote insurance solutions that protect agricultural investments and strengthen farmers’ ability to withstand climate-related risks.
The 2026 Agriculture Summit Africa, themed “Building the Next Super Power: Africa’s Food Power Play,” focused on improving food production, financing, processing, technology, trade and policies.
The discussions also examined how Africa can strengthen agricultural value chains, create jobs, increase intra-African trade and move from food security towards greater food sovereignty.