H.E. Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, AUC Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, yesterday joined Kenyan President H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta and President of Rwanda, H.E. Paul Kagame at a presidential panel on transforming African agriculture, during the official opening ceremony of the Alliance for a Green Revolution Forum 2016, in Nairobi, Republic of Kenya.
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“My hope is that this incisive analysis of the current state of African agriculture will stimulate a more profound and impassioned debate about the kinds of investments and initiatives now required to make transformation of this sector a reality”, Ngongi said.
Deliberations at the AGRF, which end on Friday would also focus on agriculture infrastructure, in which AfDB Director for Agriculture and Agro-Industry, Chiji Ojukwu, will deliver a presentation on “Enabling the Adoption of Technology Infrastructure and Mechanisation”.
He disclosed the Kenyan government will invest 200 million US dollars over the next five years to ensure young farmers have access to finance, inputs and markets.
Annual public investments in agriculture have risen appreciably across Africa, from an average per country of United States $186.4 million between 1995 to 2003 to USA $219.6 million between 2008 to 2014. Kenyatta called on all participates to pledge to mobilise at least 400 million dollars for public and private sector investment in the next five years.
They include Sh20 billion that President Uhuru Kenyatta promised to spend on agriculture in the next five years, above the annual budget allocation to the sector.
The historic investments represent just the first wave of support for the new “Seize the Moment” campaign, one backed by the African Union Commission, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, the African Development Bank, AGRA, key NGOs, companies and donor countries.
Rockefeller Foundation and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation also gave the pledge to fund the operational cost of the African Green Revolution Forum for the next five years.
President Kenyatta also called for a greater push for accountability by creating a continental agricultural performance scorecard, which will measure and track the continent’s progress against all of the commitments made through the Malabo declaration.
“Together, we outlined a bold and daring vision for our Continent”.
“I want Africa to feed itself and develop with pride”, said AfDB president Akinwumi Adesina.
He said the realization of the role of the agricultural sector in the transformation of the continent led to the agreement during the Malabo Declaration, to usher in Africa’s Agenda 2063, that emphasized the need to invest in agriculture.
Kagame supported the idea of Kenyatta and said involving everyone in the sector which is of benefit to all- there is a lot of value chain in agriculture and the best way to deal with this is to interlink agriculture in all sectors.
Nigeria is one of the 13 countries which have adopted the policy and are reaping its reward, but the authors of the report believe that these countries still have to double their efforts for a meaningful agricultural transformation. All we need is to make that potential materialize in benefit and business but all different players involved.
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Other speakers at the forum included the chairman of Econet Wireless Strive Masiyiwa.
