AGRA

The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) joins the family and friends of Bob Collymore, Safaricom CEO, and the people of Kenya in mourning his passing.

Bob, as he was popularly known, understood the meaning of creating wealth at the bottom of the pyramid. Under his leadership, Safaricom pioneered multiple innovations that changed the lives of smallholder farmers by giving them access to finance and digital platforms to enhance market access; both of which are critical gaps in Africa’s agriculture sector.

Speaking at the 2016 African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) in Nairobi, Bob called for a combination of the private sector efficiency and the ability of the public sector to invest in things like infrastructure to achieve the full potential of agriculture. “Partnership will be key in achieving this full potential. And we do not have a choice, we have to achieve the potential of agriculture otherwise we will not be able to feed ourselves,” said Mr. Collymore at the time.

In her tribute to Mr. Collymore, Dr. Agnes Kalibata, AGRA President said: “We are deeply saddened by his passing. This is a big loss not only for Kenya but for the continent and the world. He was a friend of the smallholder farmers whose lives have been transformed by the digital technologies that Safaricom rolled out under his leadership. Our prayers and thoughts are with his wife, children, family, friends, colleagues and the people of Kenya whose lives he touched in many ways.”