AFRACA-NIRSAL Masterclass on Climate and AI Finance

The African Rural and Agricultural Credit Association (AFRACA), in collaboration with NIRSAL Plc and other partners, convened finance-sector professionals from across Africa in Lagos for a week-long masterclass on Inclusive Finance for Climate Resilience and Artificial Intelligence for Financial Services and Agricultural Finance. The programme, which opened on August 19, 2026, brought together participants from Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya and other African countries, with four central banks represented. NIRSAL's Managing Director, Sa ad Hamidu, highlighted the importance of understanding and managing agricultural risks, noting that NIRSAL approved Credit Risk Guarantees for loans exceeding N100 billion in 2025 and surpassed that figure in 2026 year-to-date. He also noted that non-interest financial institutions accounted for over 50% of loans guaranteed in the first half of 2026. The masterclass covered climate-risk assessment, adaptation and mitigation, green-project structuring, and the application of AI in agricultural lending. Chris Myungu of the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT introduced the Africa Adaptation Atlas and CGIAR climate-rationale outputs. The event underscored the growing partnership between AFRACA and NIRSAL in strengthening agricultural finance across Africa.