A new report by Seed Advisory, titled “The Next Frontier: A Covenant for Africa’s Green and Inclusive Finance”, has called for a complete reimagining of Africa’s financial systems to make them more inclusive, sustainable, and people-centred.
Authored by economist JP Fabri, the publication proposes a fresh financial framework that integrates digital innovation, green finance, and social inclusion to address Africa’s climate and economic challenges. It argues that the continent must stop being treated as a passive recipient of global finance and instead become a leading architect of financial transformation.
At the heart of the report are two key concepts — DIGIFARMS and The Covenant. DIGIFARMS (Digital Innovation for Green Inclusive Finance, Agriculture, Resilience, Microfinance & Sustainability) provides a practical blueprint to connect farmers, small traders, and entrepreneurs to financial systems through digital platforms. The Covenant, meanwhile, calls for a moral approach to finance — one that serves both present needs and future generations through stewardship, accountability, and justice.
Fabri said the vision stems from the African philosophy of Ubuntu, which emphasises community and shared destiny. He noted that finance rooted in Ubuntu “becomes transformative,” turning “liability into legacy” and “exclusion into empowerment.”
The report also highlights Africa’s leadership in financial innovation, citing examples such as Kenya’s mobile money revolution, digital microinsurance in Zambia, and blended finance for renewable energy in Nigeria. It proposes debt-for-nature swaps, sustainability trust funds, and national policy reforms to create fiscal space for green and inclusive development.
Seed Advisory stresses that policy remains the bridge between vision and action. It urges African governments to establish enabling environments through regulatory sandboxes, digital identity systems, green finance guidelines, and fiscal incentives to support innovation and consumer protection.
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In addition, the report emphasises the central role of smallholder farmers, who produce nearly 80 per cent of Africa’s food yet remain financially excluded and most vulnerable to climate change. Through digital tools, microfinance, and climate insurance, smallholders can become key agents of resilience and sustainability.
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Fabri’s call is clear: Africa’s financial story must move beyond crisis narratives to one of imagination, justice, and leadership. “Let us reimagine finance,” he writes, “and ensure that when future generations look back, they will say this was the moment Africa chose covenant over crisis and justice over expediency.”