Beyond the App: Muhammad Yakubu Bubayaro’s Call to Rebuild Africa’s Food Systems from the Ground Up

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Lagos, Nigeria — In a bold and unfiltered message that’s stirring debate across Africa’s agri-tech and investment circles, Muhammad Yakubu (Gifted) Bubayaro, Director of ICT at Mile 12 Market and Founder of INAF, has issued a clarion call to entrepreneurs and investors: Africa doesn’t need another damn food app.

The statement, posted on his LinkedIn page, comes not from cynicism but from years of hands-on experience at the frontlines of African agriculture — in the sun-scorched stalls of Mile 12, in post-harvest corridors across West Africa, and in the boardrooms where food tech dreams are often pitched, but rarely grounded in reality.

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A Voice from the Heart of Africa’s Food Economy

Bubayaro’s message is blunt: “Farmers are producing. But after harvest, everything falls apart. Tomatoes rot in the sun while pitch decks promise ‘disruption.’”

This isn’t hyperbole. It’s a painful truth echoed across Africa’s food-producing landscapes. Up to 40% of food grown on the continent is lost post-harvest, mainly due to a lack of cold storage, transport systems, and processing capacity. And while tech innovations — from blockchain traceability to agri-marketplace apps — continue to attract headlines and VC dollars, the logistical backbone needed to preserve, store, and transport food remains woefully underfunded.

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Infrastructure, Not Just Innovation

In his post, Bubayaro wrote:

“Tech won’t save our food systems. Infrastructure will. Not more dashboards — more warehouses. Not more APIs — more agro-processors.”

It’s a powerful indictment of the mismatch between where investments go and where value actually breaks down in Africa’s food chain. Bubayaro calls for a return to the basics:

• Dryers to preserve grains in humid climates.
• Cold rooms to keep perishable produce from decaying.
• Agro-processing plants to extend shelf life and add value at the source.

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Who Is Bubayaro?

To dismiss his message as a rant would be to ignore the pedigree behind the words. Bubayaro wears many hats — technologist, marketer, infrastructure advocate, and policy influencer. As Director of ICT and Marketing at Mile 12 Market (Africa’s largest fresh produce market), he’s seen firsthand the disconnect between what’s built in code and what’s needed on the ground.

As Founder of Bunkasa Agritech, he offers real solutions to real problems — plastic crate rentals, agro-logistics coordination, and localized data strategies to reduce spoilage. His INAF platform (Infrastructure Network for African Food) goes further, aiming to unite builders, funders, and policymakers to catalyze investment in cold chains, warehouses, and agro-processing — the capital-heavy assets that many shy away from.

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Reactions and Resonance

Bubayaro’s post is resonating because it speaks to a growing frustration among farmers, agribusiness leaders, and policymakers who see Africa’s food systems strained not by lack of ideas, but by lack of execution.

“Let’s stop feeding venture capital fantasies and start feeding people,” he urges. “Let’s build real value — from farm to finish.”

It’s a message that hits differently in an era where startup valuation often overshadows food security outcomes.

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A Wake-Up Call for Investors

Bubayaro’s appeal is as much a challenge as it is a roadmap. For investors seeking sustainable, long-term impact in Africa’s food system, he suggests looking beyond shiny apps and into warehouses, dryers, and trucks. The returns may take longer, but the value is deeper — feeding communities, reducing food loss, and building circular rural economies.

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From Rhetoric to Reality

Bubayaro closes his message with a statement that should become a mantra for Africa’s next food revolution:

“Start where the food chain breaks.”

In doing so, he invites a new generation of problem-solvers — not just coders, but engineers, builders, transporters, and financiers — to fix the overlooked links that determine whether Africa can feed itself or not.

And as food security takes center stage in global development discourse, voices like Bubayaro’s are not just relevant — they are essential.

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About Muhammad Yakubu (Gifted) Bubayaro

• Director of ICT, Mile 12 Market, Lagos
• Founder & CEO, Bunkasa Agritech Ltd
• Founder, INAF (Infrastructure Network for African Food)
• Regional ICT Lead, WACTAF
• Advocate for cold chains, post-harvest systems, and agro-logistics in Africa.

Contact
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbygifted/