Leaders Validate AfDB’s ‘Feed Africa Strategy’ at Abidjan Forum

$24bn investment planned over next 10 years

African leaders and partners in the agriculture sector have validated the Feed Africa Strategy of the African Development Bank (AfDB) as a viable tool towards the transformation of agriculture on the continent.

President Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire and his counterpart from Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, hailed the AfDB initiative during the opening ceremony of the 2017 African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) in Abidjan, the capital.

The AfDB is accelerating agricultural development through its Feed Africa Strategy with planned investment of $24 billion over the next 10 years.

Outtara highlighted the disconnect between the 60 million population of Africans in agriculture and the paltry 16 per cent contribution of the sector to the continent’s gross domestic product (GDP). He, therefore, called on partners to fulfil the $30 billion in commitments they made at AGRF 2016, stressing the need for more investment and focus on the sector.

At AGRF 2016, many of Africa’s steadfast champions of agriculture pledged more than $30 billion in investments to increase production, income and employment for smallholder farmers and local African agriculture businesses over the next 10 years.

The Côte d’Ivoire President justified the need for greater emphasis on agriculture and expressed delight that agriculture was the number one priority on the Bank’s High 5s (AfDB’s development priorities to Light up and power Africa, Feed Africa, Integrate Africa, Industrialise Africa and Improve the quality of life for the people of Africa).

Ouattara congratulated AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina for his achievements at the AfDB. “When agriculture goes well, every other thing goes well. I would like to encourage other partners to join us,” he said, in a release made available to THISDAY by AfDB’s Communications Officer, Mr. Emeka Anuforo,

On how agriculture could reduce poverty, the Head of State pointed to how Côte d’Ivoire had expanded the annual growth rate to 9 per cent due largely to a new priority on agriculture since 2012. He then called for greater political will from African Governments and stronger international partnerships for agricultural transformation.

In her address, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf stressed how important it is to turn agriculture around qualitatively and quantitatively. Recalling how Africa missed the first green revolution, she emphasised the need to seize the moment and tackle food insecurity.

She applauded the AfDB for championing the responses and programmes that help in the actualisation of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa’s objectives and was optimistic that such support would accelerate the actualisation of the green revolution.

“We also know that the Feed Africa Strategy [of the AfDB] seeks to support African agriculture for the next 10 years into a competitive and inclusive agribusiness sector that will create wealth, improve yields and secure the environment. We believe that we should continue to strengthen the establishment of partnerships among the states, research institutions, banks, markets,” she said.

President of AGRA, Agnes Kalibata, noted that the body’s most significant stride was its ability to bring leaders on board − including governments and investors willing to discuss what to do differently in order to uplift agriculture.

“This year, we focused on how to galvanise smallholder farmers and how they can become the basis for creating jobs and food sufficient for Africa,” she said.