Food security and economic growth are priorities for many African countries and the African Union. Linked to these goals is the requirement for big improvements in agricultural output and productivity. A large increase in irrigated land is vital, since Africa (particularly Africa south of the Sahara) has less irrigated land as a proportion of total cultivated land compared with other global regions. Frequent droughts and erratic rainfall in the African drylands, where most agriculture takes place, also mandate increases in irrigation. Water resources across the continent are on average sufficient for the required increases in irrigation whilst still allocating water for the environment. Improvements in agriculture are fundamental to economic growth and wider prosperity, which in turn underpin environmental sustainability. The situation is urgent since most of the world’s extremely poor people live in Africa and severe food insecurity is rising.