Impact of Russia-Ukraine Conflict: An Opportunity to Build Resilient and Inclusive Food Systems in Africa
Opinion Editorial | by H.E. Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, AUC Commissioner, Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (ARBE) and H.E. Dr Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, Chief Executive Officer, AUDA-NEPAD.
While Africa is yet to fully recover from the socio-economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict poses another major threat to the global economy with many African countries being directly affected.
Just within a few weeks, global wheat, sunflower, and oil crude prices have soared to unprecedented levels. Africa is heavily reliant on food imports from both countries, and the Continent is already experiencing price shocks and disruptions in the supply chain of these commodities. READ MORE>
End of Tenure Message from Dr Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, CEO, African Union Development Agency-NEPAD
It has been a great opportunity, a unique privilege and distinct honour to serve the African Union (AU) as the Chief Executive Officer of the NEPAD entity.
Building capable, effective and resilient pan-African institutions to anchor and deliver on the continent’s development agenda is a significant component of the African Union system. The birth of NEPAD in 2001 was the first concrete manifestation of the will of African States to regain leadership on the continent’s development issues. NEPAD was the first international institution to take a truly African perspective and represented a paradigm shift in development thinking and practice. READ MORE>
Investment in Early Childhood Nutrition
Early childhood development and nutrition are intrinsically connected. Good nutrition in a child’s early years can increase their cognitive development and ability to learn for years to come. The health and development of many young children in African is, however, compromised by malnutrition, leading to the urgency to step up efforts to reverse this. This was the sentiment at the just-ended Regional Economic Community (RECS) Consultation on ‘Investment in Early Childhood Nutrition to Advance to Social, Economic and Human Capital Development in the Continent.’ READ MORE>
Funding those with the Greatest Need
By Estherine Lisinge-Fotabong, Director of Programme Innovation and Planning, AUDA-NEPAD
Global development finance has been thrown into disarray – first by the pandemic and now the war in Ukraine. Ramping up finance flows to LDCs in the short term might appear unrealistic, but it is more essential than ever if we’re to avoid even greater catastrophes ahead.
The saying “it never rains, but it pours” is appropriate to describe the current difficulties that confront the global economy, especially the developing world. We have seen the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has so far claimed over six million lives and plunged many countries into recession. READ MORE>
Investment in Science, Technology, and Innovation Critical for Africa’s Agricultural Development
STI still lags, undermining Africa’s prospects for harnessing technologies for sustainable development.
African governments, policy makers, and regional economic communities have been urged to enhance strong political will to further integrate Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) in Africa for sustainable economic growth and agricultural transformation. It was revealed that if the continent is to address socio-economic challenges facing the majority of the Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, there is an urgent need for African Governments to increase funding for STI to transform agricultural development in Africa. READ MORE>
Creating an Ideal Occupational Health Centre (OHC) Blueprint - Kujenga Workshop
The African Union Development Agency-NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD), in partnership with Tshiamiso Trust, the Department of Health South Africa; Medical Bureau of Occupational Diseases (MBOD) and the Compensation Commissioner of Occupational Diseases (CCOD), convened the Kujenga Workshop on 28 March – 01 April 2022 in Cape Town, South Africa.
Three institutions came together, AUDA-NEPAD, Tshiamiso Trust, MBOD/CCOD, with support from the World Bank and the Global Fund, to present a united front in the fight against TB and occupational diseases in the SADC region towards realising national, regional, and international targets. READ MORE>
BR3: Africa Records Mixed Progress but Off-track on 2025 CAADP Goals
By Adam Alqali & Muhammad Usman
The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) is one of the frameworks under the African Union’s Agenda 2063 supporting countries to boost agricultural investment and productivity to end hunger and poverty towards economic growth and development.
The CAADP framework is a major outcome of the Maputo Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security in Africa, proclaimed at the 2nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union, in July 2003, at Maputo, Mozambique. The most prominent aspect of the Declaration was African heads of state’s commitment to allocate at least 10% of their national budgets to agriculture towards achieving agricultural growth rates of 6% per annum. READ MORE>