The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group has intended on committing $10 billion to boost Africa’s efforts to end hunger over the next five years.
It is also part of the Bank’s objectives to become a primary food provider for itself and the rest of the world.
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, the Bank Group President during the Dakar 2 Africa Food Summit in Diamniadio, east of the Senegalese capital of Dakar on Wednesday, January 25, 2023 made this announcement during his address.
President Adesina urged leaders from over 34 countries, government officials, private businesses, farmers, and development organizations to collaborate and create comprehensive plans to bring significant change to food and agriculture in Africa.
Urging them on, Adesina employed them to work together to unleash the continent’s agricultural potential and turn it into a major global food producer.
The Dakar 2 summit, which focused on the themes of food sovereignty and resilience in Africa, took place in the midst of supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The event was attended by over a thousand delegates and dignitaries, including President Michael D. Higgins of Ireland.
Eight years after the first Dakar summit, where the newly elected Adesina announced the African Development Bank Group’s Feed Africa strategy, the Government of Senegal and the bank are co-hosting the second summit, Dakar 2.
In his opening speech at the summit, President Macky Sall, who is also the current chair of the African Union, stated that it is time for the continent to become self-sufficient by increasing value addition and extensive utilization of technology.
“From the farm to the plate, we need full food sovereignty, and we must increase land under cultivation and market access to enhance cross-border trade.”
Sall
Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) said the Dakar summit was well-timed and will offer innovative solutions to decrease Africa’s reliance on food imports.
“Food sovereignty should be our new weapon of freedom.”
Mahamat
Mahamat again admonished development partners to work collaboratively within existing structures, like Agenda 2063 and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA) for sustainable transformation.
Additionally, the Chairman of the AUC praised the African Development Bank for implementing transformative initiatives, including a $1.5 billion emergency food production facility planned for 2022, to assist African nations in avoiding a potential food crisis which was stirred by Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“It is a shame that 60 years after independence, we are gathered to talk about feeding ourselves. We can and we must do better.”
William Ruto, President of Kenya
In succession, the African Development Bank chief, Adesina emphasized the urgent need to annihilate hunger from the continent.
“Today, over 283 million Africans go to bed hungry every day. This is not acceptable. No mother should ever have to struggle with rumbling of the stomach of a hungry child.
“We must raise the bar. We must raise our ambition. We must arise and say to ourselves: it is time to feed Africa. The timing is right, and the moment is now. Feed Africa; we must.”
Adesina
Channel Political Will Into Decisive Actions
The bank head went on to advise the leaders present to channel political will into decisive actions which will in turn deliver food security for Africa.
“We must strongly support farmers, especially smallholder farmers, majority of whom are women, and get more young people into agriculture. And we must take agriculture as a business, not a development activity, and boost support to the private sector.”
Adesina
President Michael D. Higgins of Ireland said that with Africa’s young population making up around 20% of the world’s youth, the continent has enormous potential, and that the rest of the world will look to it in the future.
“Let us make this century Africa’s Century, one which will see the continent become free from hunger.”
Higgins
Antonio Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General, in his message to the summit, acknowledged the challenges that Africa is currently facing in terms of climate change and food insecurity.
The war between Russia and Ukraine, Guterres said is what has led to the increase in the prices of fertilizers and their supply difficult.
Continuing, he pledged the UN’s support to assist Africa in becoming a leading global food producer.
President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria stated that nations must provide stronger support for farmers, allocate a significant portion of the national budget to agriculture, and encourage young people and women to engage in farming.
“Feeding Africa is imperative. We must ensure we feed ourselves today, tomorrow, and well into the future.”
Buhari
The Nigerian President applauded Dr. Adesina and AfDB for implementing special agro-industrial processing zones across the continent, including in Nigeria.
“Special agro-industrial processing zones are game changers for the structural development of the agriculture sectors. They will help us generate wealth, develop integrated infrastructure around special agro-processing zones, and add value.”
Buhari
Throughout the three-day summit, private sector participants are expected to pledge to national food and agriculture delivery compacts, which aim to guide policies, bring about structural changes and attract private sector investment.
Central bank governors, finance ministers are expected to work on financing arrangements to execute the food and agriculture delivery compacts in collaboration with agriculture ministers, private sector participants, commercial banks, financial institutions, and multilateral partners and organizations.
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