Amanda Namayi

The new month is upon us and the second half of the year has officially begun! Ta-Da!

As I write this, I am contemplating on whether to have some coffee to warm myself up (it’s currently super chilly in Nairobi) or to drink coconut water for the sake of my health. What should I do? Decisions. Decisions.

While there are varying statistics as to whether Nigeria or Kenya is the heart of Africa’s Silicon Savannah; my biased self will say Kenya but my good friend, Kenneth, says that Nigeria has the highest number of tech unicorns in Africa. This once again brings me to my question, East or West, which is best?

While you may wonder who Kenneth is in this discourse, I will let you wonder no more. Inasmuch as I have hyperlinked his profile in the preceding paragraph; I feel like I need to give a little backdrop on how we ended up having a conversation about AgTech and more specifically, AgTech in Africa.

What is a Bluetooth device if it cannot pair? This might sound corny but its true. There needs to be a connection for the efficacy to be realized. I am not talking about what some people have taken out of context (please get your mind out of the gutter ), I am talking about the literal functioning of Bluetooth technology.

Ken and I met last year in Rome, Italy; at the helms of the World Food Forum. I was having a conversation with one of the session organizers at The Atrium of the FAO Building when I heard someone call my name. I turned around but could not recognize who the caller was. I heard my name a second time, and I turned around again. This time round, he was standing next to me, and he requested that we take a picture together. Interestingly, we both had a touch of mustard in our apparel and the background made for a good photo op. What’s the cost of taking a picture anyway? Nothing.

We did not get to speak much since I needed to prepare for the next session that I was co-hosting, but he asked me for my number and requested that we meet for dinner.

I accepted the dinner invitation on one condition though, that we needed to eat African food. While I did enjoy the amazing Italian cuisines that Rome had to offer, but every fiber of my being was calling for food from my motherland – Africa.

Afternoon passed and evening came, and behold, the time for our dinner had come. Kenneth took us to a Nigerian restaurant – staying true to his roots – and we got to talk about several topics, amongst them being how to curate spaces for African, Ag-based startups to meet different partners, and more specifically, financial partners. The night ended on high, and in spite the heavy downpour, it did not dampen our spirits. The pun was not intended I promise. 🙂

The World Food Forum ended that week, and coincidentally, Kenneth and I both remained in Rome for the 52nd Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) the following week; but we both didn’t know it at that point. We only realized it when we bumped into each other in the Mexico Room in the FAO Building. We said hello to each other and kept it moving.

However, that was not the end of our rather serendipitous string of meetings. Kenneth had a speaking engagement at the helms of the CFS and in the spirit of ubuntu, I showed up to support him. Yet another coincidence? One too many it seems. We did not get time to crystallize the idea of curating a “matchmaking” space for African, AgTech startups as we both had intense schedules that week. At the end of CFS52, Ken left for London and I went to Southern Italy. However, the seed had already been planted; and this time round, the pun is intended.

Months later; after taking a leap of faith, having several planning meetings and making fervent prayers that people would turn up on a public holiday, the AgriTech Connect summit was held on 6th June 2025 at the iHub Building. The planted seed had been watered and was now germinating!

While I may not get into the crux of the AgriTech Connect in this episode as there is much more to unpack that needs a full article for it; the reason I gave you the more scenic route to 6th June, is to encourage you to take that idea you have out of your head and into the world! Just start! For those who believe in God and read the Bible, there is a widely acclaimed verse that faith without action is dead.

What were the odds? Kenneth was in the UK, I was in Kenya and we both had full time commitments. Nevertheless, the journey was made much smoother by the resounding support of friends, key partners, and volunteers. I would like to give a special, heartfelt acknowledgment to the World Food Forum. Their local-action-led strategy is a testament that real action is from the ground up.

The inaugural AgriTech Connect event was a modest beginning but a beginning nonetheless. There was no fancy tea break nor elaborate lunch, but attendees poured in numbers to the overflow. It was heartwarming to behold. While there were moments of doubt and a teensy bit of hesitation, we said a prayer and surrendered all uncertainties to God. High profile speakers showed up, vendors were on time, the on-ground logistics team were absolutely pleasant and everyone who needed to be there was there.

There was a blend of speakers ranging from academia, private sector, finance and notable captains of industry such as Ms. Robynne Anderson, the President of Emerging Ag., who flew in all the way from Canada! God bless you Robynne! ❤ ❤ ❤

We also had one of the panelists, Mr. Jehiel Oliver, co-founder of Hello Tractor, who showed up with his whole family, including his mother! His wife, Martha Haile, also a co-founder of Hello Tractor, moderated the session on Navigating the AgriTech Startup Journey in Africa. Their children – two daughters- watched and cheered on from the audience. It was a family affair.

Time fails me to talk about each and every person that made this dream a reality. As mentioned earlier, I will need another post to talk about the event highlights, what was discussed, key takeaways, the speakers in the room, partners who supported us and what’s in the pipeline for the second edition of AgriTech Connect.

If you are reading this and was part of the process, whether in the planning, volunteering, as one of the partners or as an attendee – you are deeply appreciated. The day would not have been a success without YOU!

In closing, I would like to give a special acclamation to Kenneth Obayuwana. Congratulations! You personified the statement that “it seems impossible until its done”. As the Nigerians would say, “more grease to your elbow”, since this is just the start of more and better to come.

Why did I talk about Bluetooth devices pairing at the start of this article? I have no idea as well but in hindsight, it made for a light moment though, didn’t it?

Onto more serious matters…

Now that you have gotten to the end of this article, may this be a clarion call for you to get working on that project, that proposal, that business idea and whatever else you have been ruminating on. You do not have to see the whole staircase before you make the first step and I hope that this story is proof enough for you. Also, if you are doing/working on something that I can help you with, please let me know; but by all means, do not stagnate! Remember, done is better than perfect.

Amanda Namayi

PS: I ended up drinking piping HOT coffee over the coconut water because it was just too cold!