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.