Dakar 2 summit: development partners pledge $30 billion to boost food production in Africa | African Development Bank

The second Africa Food Summit in Senegal ended on Friday, when development partners agreed to pledge $30 billion to support the continent’s determination to increase agricultural productivity and become a breadbasket for the world.

Development partners include the African Development Bank, which plans to contribute $10 billion over five years, and the Islamic Development Bank, which plans to provide $5 billion.

The Dakar 2 summit – under the theme ‘Feed Africa: food sovereignty and resilience‘—adopted a statement on the implementation of the summit resolution, which will be submitted to the African Union.

Hosted by the Senegalese government and the African Development Bank, the summit brought together dozens of dignitaries, including 34 heads of state and government, 70 government ministers and development partners, to work tirelessly on treaties that would transform agriculture across Africa. The President of Ireland Michael D Higgins attended all three days of the summit.

Dr. Addressing the closing plenary session, Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank Group, said the continent and its partners are determined to see results and that implementation is critical to boost food production and nourish Africa.

“The message was clear: we will work together to strongly support the implementation of the Food and Agriculture Delivery Compacts at the country level,” said Adesina.

He said the heads of state and government have committed to establishing high-level presidential advisory councils to oversee the implementation of the pacts, which will be chaired by the presidents themselves in their respective countries.

Strong commitment to deliver

“With strong collective determination and determination, we will work together in coordination and partnerships to help countries achieve success,” he affirmed.

Adesina praised the high turnout at the event. “We came in response to a clarion call from Africa that it is time for Africa to feed Africa. The clarion call was that the time is right, and now it’s time for Africa to feed itself. We came from Africa. We came from all over the world.”

He said Dakar 2 Summit will be remembered as a key moment in Africa’s ability to feed itself and achieve food independence and food sovereignty: “We are leaving with a determination and determination to feed Africa. With hands together and in closed steps, we will reach our destination: an Africa that finally feeds itself. An Africa that develops with pride.”

In the Dakar Declaration, leaders agreed to allocate at least 10% of government spending to increase funding for agriculture. They also decided to deploy robust production packages to increase productivity and build resilience to achieve food security and self-sufficiency.

In his closing remarks, Senegalese Prime Minister Amadou Ba called the summit “a resounding success”.

“Agriculture creates jobs and promotes prosperity and health,” he said, calling on all citizens of Africa to come together and agree on a shared agenda driven by Africans for Africans.

Prime Minister Ba added: “It is a paradox that Africa is the largest but also the most dependent continent. From now on, we have to do away with the dependency. Africa must consume what it produces and produce what it consumes.”

Worldwide support

Irish President Michael Higgins, who attended all three days of the summit, called for global support for the ‘Feed Africa’ agenda.

“Let us make this century the century of Africa, a century in which the continent will become free from hunger, a shared continent in a global family, a continent founded on the firm foundation of respect for the institutions, traditions, experiences and wisdom of every country,” the president said. Higgins said.

In a video message, Dutch Director-General for International Cooperation Kitty Van Den Heijden announced that her country will allocate an additional €450 million over the next five years to food security programs with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. She said the country would also support the African Development Bank’s African Emergency Food Production Facility with $30 million.

“We have no time to lose; we need to take action and build more resilient food systems,” she added.

The president of the Islamic Development Bank, Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser, issued a statement pledging his support to boost food production in Africa. Canada and Germany have also made commitments to support the Feed Africa agenda.

Click here to read President Adesina’s full speech

Click here to read the Dakar statement

Click here for photos of the summit