NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 24 — African countries are sitting on a largely untapped economic opportunity that could fuel industrial growth, create millions of jobs, and strengthen climate resilience by transforming forests, trees, and agroforestry resources into high-value industries, leaders and experts have said.

The call emerged during a high-level forum on tree-powered bioeconomies in Africa convened by Landscape Alliance, formerly known as CIFOR-ICRAF, in Nairobi on Tuesday.

Policymakers, scientists, investors, and development leaders agreed that the continent must shift from exporting raw biological commodities to investing in value addition, manufacturing, innovation, and market development.

Participants argued that Africa’s vast tree resources could become a major driver of green industrialization if governments create the right policies and investment environment to support processing industries and the commercialization of research.

Opening the forum, Landscape Alliance Chief Executive Officer Dr. Éliane Ubalijoro challenged leaders to rethink the role of trees in Africa’s economic future.

“A tree is more than a natural asset. It is economic infrastructure. It is climate infrastructure. It is a source of food, medicine, materials, energy, enterprise, and jobs,” she said.

Ubalijoro noted that Africa’s future growth could be anchored in the forests, trees, and living systems that have sustained communities for generations, provided that investments are directed toward innovation, enterprise development, and sustainable value chains.

Discussions at the forum highlighted opportunities across a broad range of sectors, including food production, timber and construction materials, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, biomaterials, renewable energy, and nature-based climate solutions.

Dr. Peter Minang, Africa Director at Landscape Alliance, said the continent must capture greater value from its natural resources by building industries around them rather than exporting raw products.

“The opportunity before us is to transform Africa’s rich tree resources into higher-value products, enterprises, and industries that benefit both people and nature,” he said.

According to Minang, strengthening local processing, innovation, and value addition would not only create jobs and expand industrial activity but also help countries achieve climate and biodiversity goals while generating higher economic returns.

Principal Secretary for Science, Research and Innovation, Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak, said Africa possesses enormous bioeconomy potential but must focus on translating scientific discoveries into commercial products and viable businesses.

“The focus must shift from what to how. Scientific knowledge must be translated into innovation, enterprise development, commercialization, and industrial growth,” he said.

Abdulrazak revealed that Kenya is developing a National Bioeconomy Strategy to strengthen governance, technology transfer, investment, market development, and skills training to support growth in the sector.

The discussions also underscored the role of science and biodiversity in unlocking the continent’s bioeconomy potential.

Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) Chief Executive Officer Dr. Jane Njuguna said indigenous tree species, genetic resources and ongoing restoration efforts provide a strong foundation for future bio-based industries.

She pointed to Kenya’s ambitious 15 Billion Tree Growing Programme as an opportunity to expand tree-based value chains, create green jobs and support the country’s emerging bioeconomy.

Participants agreed that unlocking the full economic potential of Africa’s tree resources will require stronger collaboration among governments, research institutions, local communities, investors, and the private sector.

They called for increased investment in innovation, processing infrastructure, financing mechanisms, and policy reforms capable of turning scientific breakthroughs into commercially viable enterprises.

The forum concluded with a call for African countries to position trees, forests, and agroforestry systems not only as resources for conservation but also as strategic economic assets capable of powering a new generation of industries while restoring landscapes, improving food security, and delivering sustainable prosperity.