NEPAD’s high -level meeting on agricultural development kicks off in Dakar
By Kaleyesus Bekele from Dakar, Senegal
A high level consultative meeting on African agricultural development co-
organized by the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD and the African
Union Commission Department of Agriculture kicked off Tuesday July 26, 2022 in
Dakar, Senegal.
Experts drawn from various development organizations are expected to discuss
food security, poverty reduction and related development agenda.
The team of experts will review the comprehensive Africa Agriculture
Development Program’s National Agricultural Investment Plans success and
provide recommendations.
Mrs. Nardos Bekele-Thomas, CEO of the African Union Development Agency-
NEPAD, officially opened the conference. Dr Aly Betty, high commissioner of the
Initiative, republic of Niger, and Papa Malick Ndao, Permanent Secretary, Minister
of Agriculture and Rural Equipment of Senegal delivered opening remarks.
It is to be recalled that in 2003, the African Union (AU) Heads of State and
Government Summit in Maputo, Mozambique, adopted the Comprehensive
Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), as a policy framework to
stimulate and guide the attainment of food security and poverty reduction goals
in Africa. To underscore the commitment to agriculture development, the 2003
AU Summit further adopted a resolution to commit at least 10% of the annual
public budget to agriculture and rural development and achieve agricultural GDP
growth rates of at least 6% per annum.
